Forbidden Love 2: The Blight
by KayraCousland
Summary: Elissa Cousland is now a Grey Warden and discovers that the man she love survived the destruction of Cousland castle.
1. Chapter 1

_This is the second installment of my story Forbidden Love. It is based on the Ser Gilmore NPC Mod. Though I will not be 100% faithful to the mod, those of you who have not yet played with it and don't want spoilers should avoid reading this story, just in case. _

_Sorry for the delay. It took 3 versions before I came up with something interesting for the first chapter. I hope it will be worth the wait :) Thank you for reading! :D_

_- A part of Alistair's dialog comes from the game.  
_

_

* * *

_

As they made their way to Ostagar Elissa kept having flashes from that night at the castle. She recalled the smell of blood paving the floor, the clash of swords echoing in the halls, men agonizing and servants screaming in terror. She closed her eyes and saw her parents gently smiling at her in the larder as they said their goodbyes. She felt the tears threatening to flow and she breathed deeply. She had to be strong, for everyone who gave their life for her.

Ostagar had not been what she expected. More treachery awaited them as Teyrn Loghain betrayed the king and left him to die at the hand of the darkspawn. Not only was the king dead but the Grey Wardens as well. She was now the only survivor with Alistair, another Warden. She looked at him through the flames; he was lost in his thoughts. She rose, her Mabari looking quizzically at her as she sat beside her new friend.

"You look like someone who needs to talk." Elissa said softly, startling him.

"You don't have to do this, you know."

"Everyone needs a friend in moments like this. I may not have known Duncan for a long time but I have known him long enough to know he was a good man and he didn't deserve to die like that."

"I should have handled it better... He warned me something like this could happen. Any of us could die in battle. I shouldn't have lost it, not when so much is riding on us, not with the Blight and everything... I am sorry..." his voice trailed off, his eyes filling with tears.

"You don't have to apologize. Dealing with death is difficult and I understand he meant a lot to you."

"I'd like to have a proper funeral for him. Maybe once this is all done, if we're still alive. I don't think he had any family to speak of."

"He had you."

"I suppose he did. I know this is stupid but part of me wishes I was with him in the battle. I feel like I abandoned him."

"It is not stupid to think that. But he saved your life by sending you away."

"Yes, I know. I think he came from Highever, or so he said. Maybe I'll go up out there sometime, see about putting up something in his honor."

"I could go with you, if you want. He saved my life, I owe him."

"That would be nice." Alistair brushed away his unshed tears, his eyes lingering on the fire. "Thank you for listening to me, it was good to talk about it." She felt his eyes on her, studying her. "The way you talk makes me wonder... have you had someone close to you die?"

"Arl Howe betrayed my family. Everyone at the castle must be dead by now... I survived only because Duncan saved me." She fought the overwhelming pain as she saw Roland in her mind, smiling lovingly at her in the gardens.

"Oh, of course. How stupid of me to forget... Here I am going on and on about Duncan and you ... I am so sorry. If you want to talk, I am here." He smiled sadly at her.

Elissa stared at the dancing flames for a moment, unsure how to express her pain to him. "For so long I have been angry at them, I accused them of ruining my entire life. I made sure they knew how much I despised them but now ... now I only wish they were still alive so I could tell them how much I love them and how sorry I am for what I have said." Her voice trailed off as she let the burning tears fall on her cheeks.

"Why were you angry at them?"

"I fell in love with my best friend, a knight. My parents disapproved, saying I had to marry a noble man but I couldn't. I wanted to be with him and with no one else. I asked him to leave with me so we could be together but he refused. I know now he did it to protect me but I was so angry at him at the time. We stopped talking after that and I blamed my parents for everything. Now they're all dead; everyone that meant something to me is dead ..."

She felt Alistair's arm around her, pressing her against him. She buried her face in his shoulder and let the pain consume her as she cried. She heard her Mabari whine softly beside her before resting his head in her lap.

"If only I could have told them I never really hated them..."

"I'm sure they knew you never meant everything you said." He pressed his cheek on her head and tightened his embrace.

"But what if I could have saved them? If only I had done what they asked of me they would still be alive." She kept wondering what would have happened if she had married Thomas, or at least if they had announce their betrothal. Maybe this would have saved her family and everyone else at the castle.

Alistair put two fingers under her chin and made her look at him. "You don't know that, no one knows what could have been if things had been different. It does you no good to torture yourself like that."

"I guess you're right. And thank you." She rested her head on his shoulder again and closed her eyes, her fingers gently stroking her dog's head. She might have lost her family but she had gained a friend and she was grateful for that.

Ooooooo

Elissa felt the sunlight burn through her eyelids and she opened her eyes slowly. The first thing she saw was the remain of the previous night's fire. Her eyes wandered around the camp and she spotted Alistair cleaning his sword. When he saw she was awake he smiled gently.

"We should have left a couple hours ago but I didn't have the heart to wake you up. Are you feeling better?"

"Yes, thank you."

"Morrigan says we should reach Lothering soon. As soon as you are ready we'll be leaving."

Elissa nodded and prepared her things.

As soon as they entered Lothering she noticed that everyone was scared of the upcoming Blight. She could feel their fear in the air, the feeling was overwhelming. There were refugees everywhere along with bandits trying to benefit from the confusion.

As they made their way inside the village she couldn't help despair growing inside her. How were they supposed to end the Blight when they didn't even know what they were supposed to do? Somehow she knew these people depended on them and it scared her. What if she failed them just like she had fail her family? She shook her head, trying to get rid of her thoughts. Alistair was right; it would do her no good to torture herself with what ifs. The past happened and she couldn't change it but she could control her future. She was a Grey Warden now and she had to act like one even if she felt as lost as everyone else around.

Behind her she could hear Alistair and Morrigan argue but she paid no attention as her gaze was caught by a man talking to someone in the distance. Her heart skipped a beat; she would recognize that silhouette anywhere.

"Roland..." she whispered. She felt Alistair's eyes on her, looking at her questioningly.

She heard him say something but couldn't make out the words as she made her way toward the man, half running. She put her hand on his arm, her heart beating wildly in her chest, half expecting him to be a mere illusion. The man turned around at the contact, surprised. Elissa's eyes met his; his green eyes were glistening in the afternoon sun just as she remembered, a strand of red hair falling in his eye. She felt tears in her eyes as she looked at the man she loved, relieved to know he had survive.

"My lady, you're alive!" Roland said, a smile spreading on his face. She smiled sadly at the use of her title and not her name. She heard the others behind her, her Mabari barking happily.

"I am relieved to see you are alive as well, ser Gilmore." she replied, trying to hide her hurt feelings. Roland's eyes fixed the ground at his feet for a moment before fixing their attention on the others as she made the presentation.

"I would like to help you defeating the Blight. I swore to protect you and this is my chance to honor your father's will. I would like to fight at your side to end this Blight."

"We will need all the help we can get. If this is what you truly wish you are welcome to come with us."

"Thank you." Roland smiled at her and she had to control herself not to embrace him. She heard Morrigan complain behind but she paid no attention.

"We should look around for supplies and news." Elissa said before heading to the local tavern.


	2. Chapter 2

_once again thank you for reading and thanks for the reviews and other kind of support. It is appreciated :)_

_

* * *

_

In Lothering, Elissa didn't have much time for Roland as she spent most of her time with Alistair trying to decide what to do next. Alistair told her they shouldn't expect help from the Orlesian Wardens as there was no way for him to contact them but suggested they use the treaties that obligated the Dwarves, Elves and Mages to help during a Blight. He also said Arl Eamon would help them and assured her he wouldn't believe Loghain's lies.

They had left Lothering after a few days, they had gathered as much supplies as they could and decided to start with Redcliffe as it was closer to any other places. And also because Alistair pleaded to go to Redcliffe as soon as possible when he heard the Arl was sick. Elissa knew the man meant a lot to him; Alistair had told her how the Arl raised him when he was a child so she agreed to his request and they left Lothering.

Many times on the way to Redcliffe Elissa had tried to talk to Roland but changed her mind. Everytime she looked at him she couldn't help but recall the last kiss they shared in the castle's Main Hall. That night, as she thought they all might die, she had told him she loved him despite everything that happened and he said he loved her too. But now that she had found him again there was only an awkward silence between them. She tried her best not to be alone with him as she was afraid of what could be said so she spent most of her time with Alistair. She suspected Roland tried the same thing, though his reasons were probably not the same as hers. She couldn't blame him to avoid her though. Maybe she had broken his heart too many times for him to truly forgive her regardless of his feelings for her.

All she could do was remain hidden in the shadows when they were at camp and watch him. She would watch him read every night, her heart sore at the memories flooding back in her mind.

"Maybe you should talk to him instead of spying on him every night." Alistair said as he sat beside her.

"I am not spying on him!" Elissa exclaimed, embarrassed that someone discovered her.

"Right." he replied, grinning.

"Besides, why would I do such a thing?"

"I'm not that stupid, you know. I noticed the way you look at him when he's not looking. He is the one you told me about? The one you love?"

Elissa's eyes remained on Roland. "He is."

"Then go talk to him."

"And what should I tell him? I pushed him away so many times; I even told him I never wanted to talk to him again. Things have changed between us, I'm not even sure we are still friends."

"You will never know for sure if you keep hiding."

"What if he only wanted to come with us to honor a promise he made to my father? Or because he always wanted to become a Grey Warden? Besides, hiding is safer. That way my heart will not be broken again." Elissa stared blankly at Roland who was still reading, unaware of her eyes fixed on him. She felt Alistair's hand on her arm, squeezing it comfortingly.

"Look, I don't know him but I think you should try. Maybe he is as confused as you are right now. And he sure needs a friend after what happened."

"I guess you're right." Elissa nodded and headed to Roland, her Mabari following her. The dog barked happily as they got closer to Roland.

"Hey, boy." Roland said, putting his book beside him before stroking the dog's head. He looked up at Elissa, curious.

"Bane always liked you." she said, smiling weakly.

"He probably likes me only because I used to give him treats everytime I saw him." Roland looked silently at her for a moment, his fingers still scratching the dog's head. "I doubt you came here to talk about your dog."

"I didn't. I... I would like to know what happened at the castle." she asked shyly, sitting in front of him, her throat suddenly dry and her heart beating too fast in her chest.

A shadow clouded Roland's eye for a second. "I don't remember everything. I was badly wounded and I eventually fell unconscious."

"Please, I need to know what you remember."

"We tried to defend the castle but Howe's men had the advantage of surprise. We held the doors as long as we could but they defeated us quickly after you left. Most of the guards didn't make it through the night; the others were made prisoners but they are probably dead by now. There were wounded everywhere but no one attended to them..." The words caught in his throat and he remained silent for a minute as images flashed in his mind. "Everytime I close my eyes I see the faces of the fallen, I can hear the screams, the pleas for mercy. I can still smell the stench of blood and the acrid smell of smoke and burning corpses."

Elissa gasped in horror as Roland continued his tale of what happened that night. "And my parents?" she asked, her voice shaking, unsure she truly wanted to know.

"I am sorry." Roland looked away, unable to look at her grief. "Your father was already dead when they dragged him out of the larder but your mother ... they made us watch as they killed her."

"Why? Why would he do such a thing? He was supposed to be a friend!"

"I don't know. He kept repeating he deserved it, but I don't know what he meant by that. Please understand if I don't want to talk about this anymore. At least for the moment."

"I understand. Thank you for telling me."

She remained there, in front of him as an awkward silence fell upon them once again. Elissa wondered if she had made a mistake by asking him what happened at the castle. All she accomplished by doing so was to hurt him as he remembered that dreadful night.

"I should let you rest. It will be a long day tomorrow. I doubt the road to Redcliffe will be an easy one. Goodnight."

"Goodnight." Roland replied as she headed to her tent, his eyes following her.

She closed the flap of her tent and collapsed on her bedroll as hot tears fell down her cheeks. She buried her face in her pillow and cried until falling asleep from exhaustion.


	3. Chapter 3

_Strangely this story seems to come by itself. After all the time it took me to write the first chapter I thought it would be harder to have something I like but it seems I was mistaken. I'd like to say a huge thanks again to everyone who reviewed or showed any other kind of support and also thanks for reading! :)_

_This chapter doesn't contain a lot of dialogues so for those of you who like stories with a lot of dialogues I am sorry. Hope you'll still like it though :)_

_

* * *

_

She had been wrong the previous night. The road to Redcliffe had indeed been easy; they had met no darkspawn, no bandits, nothing. Almost too good to be true. And for that, Elissa had been right; it was too good to last. As soon as Redcliffe castle had been into view she felt Alistair stiffen beside her. At first she thought it was because of the memories the place held for him, after all he had spent the first ten years of his life there. But when he caught her wrist and took her away from the others she knew it was something else, and she knew it was something she wouldn't like. And again she had been right.

As she listened to her friend tell her the truth about his birthright it dawned on her just how much he had been miserable his entire life. It didn't seem to bother him that his father never wanted him or that his mother had died in childbirth. What seemed to bother him more was the way people reacted to the truth. He had been scared of the way she would react at the discovery that King Maric was his father; he was scared that she might stop seeing him as a friend but would rather see him as the bastard prince. She assured him that he would always be Alistair, her friend, her fellow Grey Warden but it didn't seem to appease him so she hugged him tight under the watchful eyes of their entire party, unaware of the pain clouding Roland's eyes as he tried to look somewhere else, anywhere else. They had then rejoined the rest of the party, carefully keeping their conversation secret. The others didn't need to know, at least not for the moment. They would have plenty of time to deal with that news later. And again Elissa had been unaware of Roland's confusion as they made their way to the village's entrance. After all she had been lost in her thoughts as soon as she spotted the lone man standing watch at the entrance because she knew things were never easy. She was starting to get used to it by now. Nothing had been easy lately, not leaving her home, not Ostagar and so wouldn't be Redcliffe.

The man had taken them to Bann Teagan, Arl Eamon's brother, who confirmed her suspicion. Each and every night walking corpses attacked the village and the only way to get to the castle was to fight them. So they fought with the villagers in an attempt to defeat the army of corpses coming from the castle. After a night of fighting the corpses had been defeated to the joy of Bann Teagan who was now confident they could enter the castle and reclaim it from the evil that had befallen it. But as they were about to enter the secret passage the Arl's wife had appeared, begging Teagan to follow her. The Bann agreed and left with her, leaving Elissa and her party to enter the castle unnoticed.

And so they did. They were now in the walls of Redcliffe castle, in the dungeons.

She heard a soft gasp of fear beside her and she turned her head, puzzled. Her eyes locked on Roland's features, his face a mask of terror as he stared at the empty cells of the dungeon. She pressed a hand on his arm. The contact startled him and he turned his head quickly to face Elissa. She looked at him a moment, unable to form words as she stared at his terrified eyes.

"I am sorry." he whispered, his eyes now emptied of their fear.

"What happened?" Elissa asked worriedly.

"Nothing." he replied as he made his way in the dungeons.

"Roland, it wasn't nothing. I have never seen you like that before."

"I... I will tell you later. Please."

Elissa nodded as they continued on their way. But the look in Roland's eyes was back when they encountered the mage responsible for the Arl's poisoning. She felt Roland tremble slightly when the mage talked about the tortures he endured and Elissa's heart broke as everything became clear to her. There was more to the tale of what happened at Cousland castle than what Roland had told her. But as much as she wanted to comfort him she knew she couldn't. As long as they'd stay here Roland would be lost in his memories and so they made their way out of the dungeons to the Main Hall.

But again things can never be easy. What was happening at Redcliffe was worthy of the best tragedies ever written. The Arl's son had started to show signs of magic so his mother had hired a mage to teach the boy. Said mage had been hired by no one else than Teyrn Loghain himself to poison the Arl who was, according to the Teyrn's words, a dangerous threat to Ferelden's safety. But the one suffering the most from that tragedy was the little boy who was now an abomination. And the boy's fate was now depending on Elissa. The first thing that came into Elissa's mind was how she would have loved to read that kind of story when she was younger. She pictured herself in the castle's gardens huddled against a tree the book in her hands, her eyes unable to leave the book as her eager fingers flipped pages after pages. The idea almost made her laugh but she remained calm as she decided their best option would be to seek the mages help. And so they left Redcliffe castle and headed to the Tower of the Circle of Magi.

Oooo

When they finish settling camp Elissa wondered if she should wait for Roland to come to her or if she should go to him instead. She wanted to help him ease his pain but she didn't want to pressure him in telling her if he wasn't ready yet. Maybe she could just sit by and let him know she was there in case he wanted to talk. She looked at him for a moment longer before making up her mind but as she started toward him she was stopped by Alistair.

"I wanted to talk to you about what happened at Redcliffe."

"Of course." she replied, smiling gently at him.

"I wanted to thank you for what you have done. It would have been easier to kill Connor or sacrifice Isolde."

"I would never kill a child if there is a chance to save him. And although I think Isolde is a bitch I couldn't resolve to that possibility."

Alistair laughed softly at her choice of words. "Well, I just wanted to say thank you for saving the Arl's family. I owe him that much." Alistair turned to leave but Elissa grabbed his arm to stop him.

"Wait, I have something for you." she said, looking in her backpack for something. "Here." She handed him a small silvery object. Alistair took it and looked at it for a moment his eyes growing wide in surprise.

"It's my mother's amulet! Where did you find it?"

"I found it in the Arl's study."

"It is not broken. He had it repaired."

"It would seem you mean more to him than you think."

"I will have to talk to him if he ... when he recovers." He took her in his arms, tears of joy filling his eyes. "Thank you so much. I never thought you would remember my babbling."

"Of course I remembered. You are a dear friend." she said, smiling warmly as her hand squeezed his arm gently.

"I am so used at people not really listening to me. It means so much." He embraced her again before heading to his tent.

Elissa watched him leave before returning her attention to where Roland was but his spot was now empty.

Oooo

Roland looked at her as she handed something to Alistair. The young man's face brightened as he looked at the small object between his fingers. Roland couldn't detach his eyes from them as Alistair embraced Elissa tightly against him, saying something in her ear. He watched her smile at him, her hand on his arm.

Unable to look anymore he headed to the stream nearby. He removed his armor and welcomed the cold water on his skin. Cold air was caressing his face, the moonlight shinning on the water's surface. He closed his eyes and all of sudden he felt lost and alone as if he was twelve years old all over again. He was so lost in his thoughts he didn't hear the footsteps in the grass; he only heard the gasp of surprise behind him. Roland turned quickly at the sound behind him.

"Elissa? What's wrong?" he asked questioningly at the young woman's horrified look but he didn't need to wait for her to answer, he already knew what she saw. "I didn't want you to see it. Not like that." he said sadly as he tried to hide in the water.

Elissa got out of her initial shock and made a move forward but he interrupted her. "Don't. Please, don't come nearer."

"But Roland -" she started but the words caught in her throat, tears filling her eyes.

"Please, Elissa. Don't make it more difficult than it already is. I will tell you everything, I promise."

Elissa mumbled something before running back to camp, leaving him alone...


	4. Chapter 4

Elissa had stared in shock at Roland and though she tried to look away she couldn't detach her eyes from him. When he asked her what was wrong she just couldn't say anything. She knew Roland had kept things from her but she didn't know to what extent. Until now. She tried to speak, there were so many things she wanted to tell him but the words wouldn't cross her lips. She made a move toward him but he stopped her. She had no idea why she moved forward, it was as if her legs had a will of their own when she suddenly felt the urgency to be close to him, to hold him tight. Again she tried to speak and this time some words managed to come out before dying once again. She looked at him, unsure of what to do or what to say. Not that it really mattered anyway; after all, Elissa knew nothing would be comforting enough. So she started running back to camp, the night's wind caressing her face.

She made her way unnoticed to her tent and collapsed on the grass, her knees pressed tightly on her chest. What disturbed her more was not the scars covering Roland's back but the fact that he was ashamed of them, as if he thought it was his fault. She remained there, her face hidden in her knees, sobbing.

"Elissa." the soft voice startled her. She looked up, her eyes locking on Roland's worried gaze. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have talked to you the way I did." Elissa brushed the tears on her cheeks as Roland sat next to her.

She looked at him for a moment, her eyes lingering on his back, the image of his scared flesh etched in her memory. "You told me what happened to the others but not what happened to you." Her eyes fixed on his as she waited for him to say something but he remained silent. "I know they tortured you. I understood when we were in the castle's dungeons. The horror in your eyes... and now the scars on your back..." she extended her hand to caress his back but he grabbed it to stop her. "Roland, please, I want to help you." she pleaded, desperation filling her voice.

Roland remained silent for an eternity, Elissa's hand still in his own, his eyes lost in the night. "What they did... it was so awful. I have not been able to sleep in days because everytime I close my eyes I relive every second in slow motion. So many times when they tortured me I prayed the Maker to let me die but He didn't." He turned his head, his green eyes looking straight at her. "Why should I live when so many died?"

Elissa looked at him, her heart breaking as his eyes filled with tears. She cupped his cheek in her hand and caressed his skin gently with her fingers. "It's not your fault. None of this is your fault." She tried to fight the tears but the pain was overwhelming. She had never seen him so lost and broken before, not even the night she saw him cry when he was twelve years old.

"I failed them. They died because I failed."

"You know it's not true. You only feel guilty because you survived while so many died. You are a good soldier, Roland, the best warrior I've ever fought with. I know you did everything humanly possible to defend the castle but no one could have saved them. No one was prepared for what happened." She put her hand on his shoulder and pulled him against her. He buried his face in her shoulder; she could feel his hot tears through the thin fabric of her shirt.

"I'm so sorry." he whispered, his face still hidden. She caressed his hair gently.

"He will pay. For every life that was lost, for every life he destroyed, Howe will pay. I promise."

For the rest of the night they remained silent, preferring to find comfort in the surrounding silence and in each other's arms.

Oooo

Elissa opened her eyes, surprised to find herself in her tent. She didn't remember going to bed, not even falling asleep. She turned her head slowly hoping to find Roland lying next to her but she was alone. She left her tent; outside, the sun was rising with the promise of a beautiful and warm day. She saw Roland sitting by the dying fire, reading.

"Good morning." she whispered, not wanting to startle him.

"Good morning." he replied, smiling gently as she sat next to him. "I wanted to thank you for last night. It helped to talk."

"You know I will always be there for you if you need to talk, Rory."

"Rory? I've not heard that name in ages." he said, laughing softly. "It was good talking to you again, Elissa. I missed that."

"Me too." Elissa smiled shyly as their eyes locked on each other. Time almost stopped as they leaned closer, so close that Elissa could almost feel his lips against hers, his breath caressing her cheek. She closed her eyes, her heart beating faster.

"Good morning everyone." Leliana said cheerfully.

Elissa opened her eyes and stared at Roland who stepped back quickly, his cheeks red in the morning sun.

"I should get my things ready. I suppose we'll be leaving soon." Roland said too fast as he rose.

Elissa cursed at the intrusion. For a moment she was sure Roland would kiss her and everything would be as it once was but the moment was gone as fast as it came. She watched him enter his tent before heading to her own, unsure of what to think.

On the way to the Circle of Magi they talked more than they did since Lothering but both of them avoided the incident of the morning. She now knew without a doubt Roland still had strong feelings for her and though she desperately wanted to know what to expect, Elissa decided it would be wiser to take things slowly. After all it had almost been a year since they broke up and Elissa knew she had hurt him more in that year than she wanted to admit to herself.

As she listened to him talk about the times he used to travel with her father's men she smiled. Now that she had her best friend back she knew things wouldn't be so bad after all...


	5. Chapter 5

_The demon's dialogue is from the game. I took some liberty with my character's dream in the Fade, I thought it would be more interesting than to wake up to a world free of darkspawn :P_

_Thanks again for reading/reviewing/supporting. Hope you'll enjoy this chapter :)

* * *

  
_

She felt cold air coming from the other side of the door. Her hand pushed it slowly as her friends readied themselves for the upcoming fight.

A demon was standing in the middle of the room, turning to greet them when he noticed their presence. "Oh, look. Visitors. I'd entertain you but... too much effort involved."

"Fighting your kind is entertainment enough." Elissa declared, her fingers tightening their grip on her sword and dagger, her stance and gaze menacing.

"Wouldn't you like to just lay down and ... forget about all this? Leave it all behind?" the demon asked, tempting them.

She heard her friends behind her trying to prevent the demon from entering their mind. She tried to fight the overwhelming desire to sleep but as she watched her friends collapse on the hard floor one after the other, she knew it was useless. The more she struggled the more the demon's voice crept into her brain.

"Why do you fight? You deserve more... You deserve a rest. The world will go on without you."

Slowly darkness surrounded her as the demon claimed her in his domain...

Oooo

Elissa opened her eyes slowly, the morning sun burning through her eyelids. She looked around and was surprised to find herself in her room. She smiled as she found everything the way she had left it. She was home, in Highever. She felt someone stir beside her. A strong arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her against a muscular chest. Her heart started to beat wildly as soft lips kissed the tender flesh of her neck sending waves of electricity through every nerve in her body. She closed her eyes and let a soft gasp escape her lips as cold fingers caressed her stomach gently.

"Good morning, Lady Gilmore." a soft voice whispered in her ear. She opened her eyes quickly. Had she heard him correctly? Did he just called her Lady Gilmore? She looked at her hand and her eyes caught the wedding ring on her finger. She turned around to face him but before she could say anything his lips claimed hers. She tried to resist, she knew something was wrong but she couldn't. It had been so long and it felt so good to be in his arms, his lips on hers. When their lips parted he smiled at her lovingly.

"This is wrong." she said as she fought the urge to kiss him again.

"What is, my love?" he asked lazily.

"My parents never allowed us to be together. They would never allow this marriage."

"I think you had too much to drink last night, Elissa. Your parents gave us their blessings." He looked at her, worried. "Are you sure you're all right? We can ask for a doctor if you want."

"No. No, I am fine." Elissa got out of bed and looked at the man lying naked under the sheets.

"Come back in bed, my love." He extended his hand but she didn't take it. "Elissa, why are you doing this?"

"I know what you are." she said sadly.

"I am your husband. And I need you. Now." he grinned as he tried to grab her to pull her back in bed.

"No. As much as I want this to be true, you are not Roland." She backed away slowly until she stepped into a desk.

"Why are you playing hard to get?" he asked, annoyed, as he got out of bed.

Elissa's fingers searched the desk until it found what she needed. She let the man approach until he was close enough. "I am sorry." she whispered as she repeatedly stabbed the blade in his chest.

"Fool woman! I have given you everything you've ever wanted!" he yelled in pain.

"This is not what I want! You are not the one I want, you are only a demon!" she shouted, watching the demon die and vanish slowly. "This is only a dream..." she whispered, falling on her knees. The walls of her room flickered for a second before vanishing, leaving her alone in a desolated environment. Elissa breathed deeply, still shaken by what had just happened. She waited a moment to regain her senses before making her way into the Fade. She had to find her friends and get out of there quickly.

Oooo

Elissa had defeated the demons protecting Sloth and saved Wynne and Alistair from their dreams. She stared at the pedestal that would lead her to Roland's dream, her fingers lingering on the cold stone. She didn't know what to expect. Would he be having the same kind of dream she had? Should she be afraid of what she might discover? She took a deep breath to steel herself before using the pedestal.

Roland's dream was different than the others. The place was darker, the atmosphere oppressive. Elissa advanced cautiously, her eyes adjusting slowly to the surrounding darkness. She heard a muffled voice in the distance and headed toward it. She discerned a figure in the shadow and recognized Roland. She ran to him, calling his name but he remained oblivious to her. He was looking everywhere, terrified as he still mumbled incoherent things.

"Roland!" Elissa called again but he didn't react to her presence.

"Where is everyone?" He asked, still searching for something in the darkness. She grabbed his arm and made him look at her. Their eyes met and he looked quizzically at her.

"Who... who are you?" his voice was trembling.

"It's me, Elissa. Don't you remember me?" she answered, her heart pained at his distress. Something lighted in Roland's eyes as he recognized the name.

"Elissa." he whispered, smiling. He cupped her cheek, his fingers caressing her skin tenderly. She closed her eyes and pressed her hand on his. "Wait, what's going on?" Roland asked, suddenly distressed. Elissa opened her eyes and watched him vanish as the others did before him. She had found all of her friends and she was now ready to face Sloth and return to the real world.

Oooo

The Tower had been secured, the Blood Mages defeated along with the abominations and First Enchanter Irving had promised the Mages' help against the upcoming Blight. When Elissa asked for the First Enchanter's help to free Connor, the man agreed and promised to meet them at Redcliffe castle soon. Elissa had thanked the mage and they made their way back to Redcliffe.

That night at camp Elissa waited for Roland to be alone. She sat beside him and remained silent until he stopped cleaning his armor, looking at her curiously.

"I wanted to talk to you. About what happened in the Fade."

"There isn't much to say."

"Your dream was different. Darker. And you seemed to be looking for something."

"When I woke up I found out I was the last person alive. The feeling of loneliness was overwhelming."

"Why would you dream something like that?"

"I don't know. Maybe it has something to do with seeing so many people die in Highever."

"Rory, do you feel alone?"

"I did, a long time ago."

"Do you... still feel that way?"

"No, not anymore. When I was younger I resented my father for sending me away. Living with strangers is not always easy when you are twelve. But with time I made some good friends." Roland smiled gently at her. "On the way to Highever I pleaded my father to go back home but he refused. When we got there and I saw you smile at me I thought maybe with time things wouldn't be so bad. And the next day, when you took time to talk to me and gave me your favourite book, I knew I was right."

"I am glad your father sent you to squire." Elissa said, her cheeks blushing.

"So am I."

"I am so sorry for hurting you, Rory."

"Don't worry about that. I know I hurt you too." Their eyes locked on each other, Roland's fingers caressing her cheek tenderly.

"I love you." Elissa whispered.

Roland smiled, blushing. "I love you too."

Elissa's heart was racing in her chest as she felt Roland's arms around her waist, pulling her tightly against him. Soon his lips were on hers and she thought it was the best feeling in the world. She felt Roland's heart beating against hers and for the first time in months she felt at peace.

"I can't do that." Roland said sadly as he rose quickly, leaving Elissa alone.

"Why?" Elissa asked, running after him. She grabbed his wrist and made him look at her. "Is it because of my parents?" Roland remained silent, his eyes avoiding hers. "I lost everything I took for granted, my family, my home, my life. I even lost the only man I ever loved, the only friend I ever had. I will not lose you again, Roland. I need you." Her voice was desperate, her eyes pleading. "After everything we went through, we deserve to be happy."

"You are probably right; I can't let you go again. You are the only thing that kept me sane after the attack. The thought of finding you alive kept me going." Roland said, his arms wrapping around her waist. "I love you so much, Elissa." he whispered before claiming her lips...

The next morning Elissa woke up in Roland's arms, his fingers caressing her arm, his heart beating slowly in her ear. She smiled and tightened her grip around his waist.

"Good morning, my love." he whispered as she raised her head to look at him, his fingers removing a strand of hair from her eyes.

"Good morning." she whispered back, her lips soon on his. "Did you sleep well?" she inquired as she let her fingers run lazily on his chest.

"I was too busy watching you to fall asleep. You are so beautiful when you're sleeping."

Elissa hit him gently on the arm. "Only when I sleep?"

"Of course not." Roland replied, laughing. He pulled her to him, their lips sealing in a passionnate kiss, oblivious to the world waking around them.


	6. Chapter 6

_Now that Roland and Elissa are finally together I can't seem to wrap this story :( I have some parts already written, problem is to bring those parts together. Let's just hope it will be easier for the chapters to come ;)_

_I want to thank everyone who read and reviewed. It really means a lot to me :)  
_

_- Some part of the dialogue comes from the game (the Isolde/Teagan part and Zevran) -_

_Enjoy your reading :)

* * *

  
_

They travelled back to Redcliffe with no major incidents. Meeting darkspawn on the road was not something they could call "major incident" anymore as they grew accustomed to fighting them without suffering major injuries. They reached the castle faster than expected, the mages arriving soon after. The ritual, though, was taking far longer than Elissa anticipated. She was pacing the room, anxious to know what was happening upstairs. She knew she was making everyone nervous with her incessant pacing but it was the only way she found to keep her nerves in check. She felt Roland's arms close around her as he pulled her against him.

"You need to relax, my love. You're driving everyone crazy." He smiled at her in an attempt to soothe her mood.

"They've been in there for hours! What if -"

"No; no what ifs. You have to give Wynne time to do her job."

Elissa was about to argue but Roland kissed her before she could utter a word. She smiled, blushing as she felt everyone's eyes on them.

"I like the way you distract me." Elissa chuckled before kissing him again.

The door opened, interrupting them. Alistair came in, followed by Bann Teagan and Isolde.

"What happened?" Elissa asked, going towards them. "Is Connor safe?"

"Connor is his old self again. He does not seem to remember anything, which is a blessing." Bann Teagan answered.

"What about Arl Eamon?"

"Whatever the demon did to my brother, it seems to have spared his life... but he remains comatose. We cannot wake him." he said sadly.

"The Urn! The Urn of Sacred Ashes will save Eamon!" Isolde exclaimed enthusiastically.

"As much as I would like to help, Lady Isolde, I am afraid the Urn is only a legend. And we have much to do; we still have to rally the Elves and Dwarves if we want to defeat the Blight."

"My husband needs your help, Warden." Isolde's tone was pleading.

Elissa looked at Alistair, hoping he would help her take a decision. His eyes were fixed on the ground and he remained silent. Elissa sighed.

"I will seek the Urn. The Arl's support is crucial." Elissa decided, hoping they wouldn't go on a wild goose chase.

"Thank you for helping my husband. Find Brother Genitivi, the scholar, in Denerim. He has been researching the Urn's location for several years now. The knights that returned say that they were unable to find Genitivi, but perhaps the Maker will lead you to him."

"I wish you luck, and may the Maker go with you." Teagan said before leaving the room, followed by Isolde.

"Thank you for choosing to help him. I didn't want to ask you; I didn't want to influence your choice. I know we have a duty but..." Alistair started, unable to express himself further as the words caught in his throat.

"You don't have to thank me. Our duty is to save Ferelden but we can't defeat the Blight if we are in the middle of a civil war. And I know Eamon means a lot to you." Elissa reassured him.

OoooooO

"Did I hear correctly? Are we heading to Denerim?" Roland asked when they were outside the castle and back on the road.

"We are."

"That is good news. I always liked Denerim. I remember when we travelled there. We used to go to the Gnarled Noble and drink all night. Sometimes your father joined us and shared a few drinks." Roland smiled at the memory.

"Drink all night?" Elissa exclaimed, shocked by the discovery.

"Did I say all night?" Roland laughed, blushing furiously.

"No wonder why you liked to travel with Father. I see you didn't really have time to miss me, though." she pouted.

"Ah, don't be sad, my love. You know I missed you terribly, you were constantly on my mind." His hand slipped in hers and he smiled broadly, bringing a smile on her face. "You never told me what your dream in the Fade was about." he asked curiously after a moment.

"It wasn't much really. I'm sure it wouldn't interest you." she replied, smiling shyly and blushing at the memory of the man in her bed.

Roland raised an eyebrow at her reaction. "Ah, don't be a tease, Elissa. You have seen mine, you can tell me yours."

"Fine, if you insist. I woke up in bed, the most handsome man lying naked beside me." Elissa's smile broadened when Roland snorted.

"You were right. It's not interesting." His gaze shifted back to the road ahead of them.

Elissa laughed, tightening her grip on his hand. "You don't need to be jealous of your demonic self, my love." She kissed him lightly on the cheek, smiling mischievously.

Roland blushed and was about to add something when a terrified woman came running to them.

"Oh, thank the Maker! We need help. They attacked the wagon, please help us! Follow me I will take you to them." she shouted and ran back in the direction she came from.

They started running after her but Elissa stopped short when she saw the woman nod to an armed elf. The man made a sign and more armed men came out of their hiding, unsheathing their swords.

"The Grey Warden dies here!" the elf shouted before attacking.

OooooO

Elissa defeated the last archer. She heard footsteps behind her and turned around to face Alistair.

"The elven assassin is still alive though unconscious for now." Alistair told her as she sheathed her sword and dagger.

"Let's see if he can tell us something useful." she said as they headed to the assassin.

"Argh..." the assassin groaned as he regained consciousness. "What... I...Oh... I rather thought I would wake up dead. Or not wake up at all as the case may be. But I see you haven't killed me yet."

"I need information." Elissa declared coldly.

"Ah, so I am going to be interrogated. Let me save you some time. My name is Zevran. Zev to my friends. I am a member of the Antivan Crows, brought here for the sole purpose of slaying any surviving Grey Wardens. Which I have failed at, sadly."

"Who hired you to kill us?"

"A rather taciturn fellow in the capital. Loghain, I think is name was. Yes, that's it."

"Are you loyal to Loghain?"

"No, I am not loyal to him. I was contracted to perform a service."

"And now that you failed?"

"Well that's between Loghain and the Crows. And between the Crows and myself."

"When are you supposed to see him next?" Alistair asked.

"I wasn't. If I had succeeded I would have returned home and the Crows would have informed your Loghain of the results, if he didn't already know. If I had failed I would be dead or I should be as far as the Crows are concerned. No need to see Loghain then."

"_If_ you had failed?" Roland groaned impatiently beside her.

"What can I say? I'm an eternal optimist." the elf chuckled. "Might I ask what you intend to do with me? Because if you are done interrogating me, we could discuss the matter of my loyalty to you."

Elissa eyed him suspiciously but remained silent as Roland and Alistair voiced their disapproval. Zevran didn't wait for her to answer and continued.

"Here's the thing. I failed to kill you so my life is forfeit. If you don't kill me, the Crows will. The thing is, I like living, so let me serve you instead."

"And what's stopping you from killing me later?"

"To be completely honest I was never given much of a choice regarding joining the Crows. They bought me on the slave market when I was a child. I think I paid my worth back to them plus tenfold. The only way out, however, is to sign with someone they can't touch. Even if I did kill you now they might just kill me on principle for failing the first time. Honestly, I'd rather take my chances with you."

"Why would I even want your service?"

"Why? Because I am skilled at many things from fighting, to stealth and picking locks. I could also warn you should the Antivan Crows attempt something more... sophisticated, now that my attempts have failed. I could also stand around and look pretty or if you prefer... warm your bed." Zevran smiled seductively.

Elissa saw Roland's features harden at the elf's words. She grabbed his hand in an attempt to calm him. "You must think I am royally stupid."

"I think you're royally tough to kill. And utterly gorgeous. Not that you'll respond to simple flattery. But there are worse things in life than serving the whims of a deadly sex goddess."

Roland's eyes flashed in anger, his grip on her hand tightening. He made a move towards the elf but Elissa stopped him.

"I accept your offer." Zevran smiled at the news.

"What? You're taking the assassin with us now?"Alistair exclaimed, shocked. "Does that really seem like a good idea?"

"I think his skills might be useful."

"Alright, alright, I see your point. Still, if there was a sign you were desperate, I think it just knocked on the door and said hello."

"I hereby pledge my oath of loyalty to you until such a time you choose to release me from it. I'm your man, without reservation. This I swear." Zevran pledged as Elissa helped him get up on his feet.

"We should go now. We have much to do." Elissa declared as they took the road once more. Alistair and Roland disapproved her choice but she knew the assassin's skills would be useful against their enemies. Even her Mabari seemed to disapprove, growling everytime Zevran was too close to her. She could feel the tension in the air as they made their way to Denerim.

OooooO

From where he was sitting Roland could see Zevran flirting with Elissa. His fists clenched, his nails biting into the palm of his hands but he wasn't paying attention to the pain. His eyes remained fixed on the assassin as he wondered why Elissa insisted to talk to him.

Roland never considered himself as the jealous type. Elissa was a very beautiful woman and often he had seen men flirting with her. Even when he thought there was something between her and Alistair it hurt him but he wasn't jealous of the other man. With Zevran, though, things were different. Everytime the elf laid eyes on Elissa, Roland could feel his blood boil in his veins. The way he was looking at her and the things he was telling her were sickening. He didn't even care about her; he only wanted to bed her. He knew Elissa wasn't interested, the incessant flirting was irritating her, but Roland couldn't help the anger he felt towards the elf.

As he saw Elissa leave the elf and come back to the tent he took a deep breath to calm himself.

"You shouldn't have let him come with us." Roland blurted when she was close enough.

"Why? Is it because you are concerned for my safety or because he sees me as a sex goddess?" Elissa teased him and sat next to him, resting her head on his shoulder.

"He is dangerous, Elissa. What if he tries to kill you?"

"It's a good thing I have a personal bodyguard at my side, then." She chuckled before kissing him.

"I'm serious, Elissa. We can't trust him and I'm not the only one who agrees with that." He took her hands in his and looked into her eyes. "I don't want you to get hurt."

"Don't worry, Rory. He was sincere when he said he wanted to help us."

"I still don't like it. And I hate the way he looks at you."

"Yes, that is disturbing. I asked him to stop."

"And you really think it will work?"

"No. That is why I added if he continued, you'd kill him." she laughed but regained her seriousness quickly when she noticed Roland wasn't laughing. "Look, I know you don't like the idea but he knows more than he thinks and we can use that against Howe."

Roland sighed. "Maybe you are right but I still think he changed his allegiance pretty fast."

"I am not asking you to trust him. I need you to trust me." She cupped his cheek in her hand.

"I trust you. I just want to make sure you are safe. I will not lose you again, Elissa." Roland kissed her tenderly. "You really told him I would kill him?" Roland looked at her curiously as she nodded, grinning. "You are evil."

"I know." she laughed and Roland couldn't help the smile forming on his lips.


	7. Chapter 7

_Not much action in this chapter. Most part of it is "life at camp" and yes it is very fluffy but, I don't know, I guess I'm feeling a bit romantic right now lol_

_Once again I would like to thank everyone for reading._

_Special thanks to everyone who supports me one way or the other and particularly Jen4306 and roxfox1962 for your constant feedback and nice words for this story, and Evalyne for also tossing ideas; it helps knowing what people want to see in it :)  
_

_- Leliana's story _Alindra and her soldier_ is from the game._

_

* * *

_

Elissa pushed the door furiously and entered the house. She stared menacingly at the man in the room. His face became livid, his eyes opening wide in terror. She unsheathed her sword and dagger slowly, followed by her friends.

"Hello again." he whispered, his voice quavering.

"Surprised to see us alive, are you?" Elissa asked through clenched teeth, her fingers tightening their grip on her weapons. "Your friends failed to kill us, _Weylon_."

"I... I don't know what you're talking about."

"I'd suggest you tell the truth now." Alistair said impatiently. "We have much to do."

"I...I told you everything I know."

"Why are you so nervous then?" Elissa asked, losing her patience. "Hiding something?"

"No, no I'm not hiding anything. Brother Genitivi told us... told me, about the inn. I have no idea what happened there."

"Us?" Roland raised an eyebrow. "There is definitely something he isn't telling us."

Elissa crossed the room and stood inches from Weylon. "Listen, I don't have time for this. Where is Brother Genitivi?"

"I gave you a chance. I told you to forget about all this." Weylon said angrily, suddenly gaining confidence. "Andraste forgive me, I do this in your name."

Lightning struck Elissa, she fell on the floor, her head hitting the ground. She groaned and tried to get up but her vision was blurry, her head spinning. She heard the sound of fighting, flashes of magical spells, the room was illuminated by a blinding light. She closed her eyes and breathed through clenched teeth. She heard a loud noise, something falling hard on the floor, muffled voices. Her fingers wiped blood from a cut on her forehead. She felt a hand on her arm; she opened her eyes slowly to met Roland's worried gaze.

"I'm fine." she said weakly, trying to smile reassuringly. "I just hit my head but I'll be fine."

"Don't try to get up." Wynne said as she knelt beside her, using her magic to heal the wound on her forehead. When it was done Roland helped her to sit, still worried as Alistair rushed back to them, a book in his hand.

"Are you all right?" he asked her, she nodded. "I found the real Weylon in the other room. I also found this, Genitivi's journal. The location of the Urn must be in it."

"We're done here; we should head back to camp." Roland said as he helped Elissa on her feet. "You need some rest."

"I'm fine, Rory, I swear."

"I know you, Elissa. I fought with you enough to know that when you say you are fine it's not always the case. Now stop arguing and let me help."

"I think you still have some things to learn about women, ser knight." she smiled wickedly at him before taking the journal from Alistair's hand and heading to the door.

Roland looked at her puzzled. Wynne laughed as she watched him run after her.

"Wait, what do you mean I still have things to learn about women?"

"You really think I'd keep falling on my ass all those years without ever learning how to defeat you?" she asked, her smile broadening at his apparent confusion. "I loved it when you took me in your arms and took care of me."

"And I loved taking care of you. Even though you were apparently faking." he laughed, taking her hand in his.

OooooooooooO

"The stars are out." Leliana said dreamily, her eyes lost in the sky.

"I've always loved to watch the stars at night." Elissa replied, her eyes leaving Genitivi's journal.

"There is a story about that cluster of stars over there. Do you know it? Alindra and her soldier?"

"I can't say I've heard it."

"A long time ago, there lived a fair maiden called Alindra. She had many suitors, but spurned them all, for she did not love them.

One day Alindra was sitting by her window in her father's castle, singing and dreaming when her lovely voice caught the attention of a young soldier. Entranced by her song, the young soldier drew near to Alindra's window. As their eyes met, he fell in love with her, and she with him.

When Alindra told her father about the man she had chosen, he was furious, for Alindra was high-born, but her love nothing more than a common-soldier. To keep them apart he had Alindra imprisoned in the highest tower of his castle and sent her soldier to the wars.

Alas, not a month had passed before news of the soldier's death reached Alindra. Alone in her tower, Alindra wept for her love and beseeched the gods to deliver her from this cruel world. So earnest was her plea that the gods themselves were moved. They gathered Alindra into their arms and lifted her high into the heavens, where she became a star.

The gods also raised up the soul of Alindra's soldier love and there he dwells, across the horizon from her. The band of stars between them is a river of Alindra's tears, cried for her lost love. They say that when Alindra has cried enough, she will be able to cross the river to be reunited with her soldier.

This story is one of my favourites, a tale of a love so great and so enduring that it defies death, and moves the gods to action."

"It is a beautiful story. Sad but beautiful." Elissa whispered, her eyes fixing on Roland across the camp. Their eyes met and he smiled tenderly at her. Leliana watched the lovers for a moment before returning her eyes to the stars.

"I used to ask myself is such a love existed but now I know it does. You are lucky to have him; he truly loves you."

"Yes, I am lucky." Elissa smiled, her eyes fixing on Leliana.

"He was one of your father's soldiers, yes?" she asked curiously and Elissa nodded. "Your parents ever found out?"

"My father caught us kissing. He threatened to send Roland back to his father if we kept seeing each other."

"But you remained together."

"We stopped seeing each other, as my parents wanted; Roland remained in Highever." Elissa stayed silent a moment, tears at the brink of her eyes. "Our castle was attacked recently. My parents died but Roland and I survived."

"I'm sorry, I didn't know. I didn't want to hurt you with my questions."

"Don't worry, Leliana." Elissa smiled gently at her friend.

"I should go to bed now." Leliana said when she noticed Roland approaching. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight." Elissa replied before turning her attention to Roland.

"Have you learned anything from Genitivi's journal?" Roland asked as he sat beside her.

"He went to a village called Haven. He believed he would find the ancient ruins nearby."

"Let's hope he was right."

Roland took her in his arms; she rested her head on his shoulder. She closed her eyes and smiled as she concentrated on his breathing.

"Elissa?" he said, breaking the silence after a moment.

"Yes?" she asked, raising her head to meet his gaze. His eyes met hers and she noticed uncertainty in them. She frowned as she wondered why he would feel that way.

"I'd like to spend the night with you." Roland finally said, taking her hands in his.

"I thought we were already sharing a tent. I gave mine to Zevran because I don't imagine one of you sharing with him." she answered, puzzled.

"That's not what I meant." Roland sighed, his hands shaking slightly in hers. "Maker, I am more nervous than I was when we spent our first night together." he added, his cheeks burning.

"Oh." Elissa smiled shyly as she understood what he meant. "Why? We've been together before."

"It's been so long." His fingers caressed her cheek tenderly. "I want things to be perfect between us. I want it to be the way you remember."

She leaned closer to him. "Don't worry, it's always been perfect. Why would it be different now?" she said before claiming his lips for a tender kiss.

He rose and extended his hand to help her on her feet. He pulled her to him, smiling tenderly.

"I love you." he whispered in her ear.

"Then show me." she whispered back as she led him to their tent for the night...


	8. Chapter 8

_The chapter is longer than expected. I didn't think I'd have so much to write about Haven but here it is! Just a little warning : some parts are gory (well not as gory as I'd usually write but still... just in case) There are strange things going on in Haven and a little blood seemed interesting. _

_Once again thanks for reading and reviewing. And again special thanks to my constant supporters, it really means everything :)_

_- some part of dialogues are from the game. Ah Zevran, couldn't write that chapter without adding his thoughts of what happens behind closed doors lol -_

_

* * *

_

Elissa knew they were approaching Haven even before the village was into view. The light blue sky became gray, black clouds appeared; the sun vanished as if it never shined in that village. The birds stopped singing, surrounding them in an unnatural silence. Elissa shivered as cold wind suddenly rose. The place made her uneasy as she was overwhelmed by a strong feeling of abandonment. Her hand searched for Roland's and squeezed it tightly when she found it.

"I don't like this place; it's creepy." Alistair declared, voicing her own thoughts.

"And so cold." she added, shivering.

"What are you doing in Haven? There is nothing for you here." a masculine voice shouted, startling the little group. A tall man came into view, his gaze unwelcoming.

"We are looking for Brother Genitivi. Have you seen him?" Elissa asked the guard.

"Who? Perhaps Revered Father Eirik will know of whom you speak." the man said, eyeing them suspiciously.

"First time I ever hear of a Revered Father..." Alistair mumbled from behind.

"It has always been thus in Haven. We do not question tradition." the guard replied roughly, his eyes fixing on Alistair. "Perhaps you should return to the lowlands. We do not appreciate lowlanders looking about our home as though it were some sort of zoo."

"Excuse us. We didn't mean to insult your tradition or anything but we really need to find Brother Genitivi." Elissa said, hoping to calm the guard.

"The man you are looking for is not here. You may trade for supplies at the shop if you wish. Then I suggest you and your friends leave."

"Thank you." Elissa said as they made their way into the village.

"Ah, quiet, insular communities. There's always something nasty going on behind closed doors. I hope it involves chains." Zevran declared dreamily, lost into some perverted thought. "I hope they ask me to join in!"

"Maker's breath... Remind me why you wanted him to come with us?" Roland asked, exasperated.

"I honestly don't remember." Elissa smiled weakly before pushing a door open.

"I don't think this is the store." Alistair said as he examined the little house.

"No, it's not." Roland added; something caught his attention. "What is that?" he asked curiously, heading to a small altar hidden in a dark corner of the room. He touched the sticky substance covering the wooden altar and looked at it. "Blood. And it's fresh."

"What are they doing here?" Elissa whispered, unconsciously pressing herself against Roland.

"I wonder..." Zevran started, scratching his head thoughtfully. "The Crows often made sacrifices of blood, and it gave them uncanny abilities. I wonder if this is the same thing."

"Maker's breath... Blood sacrifices? What else are they hiding?" Alistair breathed his eyes wide.

"Do you... do you think any of this blood belongs to Genitivi?" Elissa asked, her eyes involuntarily going on Roland's fingers still covered with blood.

"I don't know but we should leave now before someone sees us here." Roland replied, wiping blood from his fingers before grabbing her hand and leading her to the door.

"What are you doing?" the guard asked suspiciously as they exited the house, his eyes fixing on Elissa.

"You said we may trade for supplies. The door was open, we thought this was the store." she replied, careful not to betray her fear. She couldn't let the man know what they discovered inside.

The man remained silent a moment, looking at her and she had the impression he was trying to probe her mind to know what she was trying to hide from him.

"The store is over there." he finally said, pointing to a small house up a slope.

"Thank you." Elissa said before heading quickly to the store.

On the way they met a little boy, his clothes and face were dirty as if no one cared for him. Elissa tried to go to him but Roland pulled her back near him.

"Forget the child, Elissa. They are watching us, we must be careful now."

She looked around but couldn't see anyone though she felt their eyes on her, watching them go to the store.

"Who are you? You are not from Haven." The storekeeper greeted them as they opened the door and stepped in. Though his words were not welcoming, his tone was nicer than the guard.

"We were just passing. We are looking for someone. Maybe you have seen him? His name is Brother Genitivi?" Elissa asked the man.

"No. We don't get many visitors. Are you here to trade?"

Elissa nodded and browsed the items the man showed her. From the corner of her eye she could see Zevran and Alistair wandering curiously around. Alistair approached a doorway and peeked at the adjacent room.

"What are you doing? That's private!" the storekeeper exclaimed, running to Alistair. The young man stepped back, taken by surprise by the man's outburst.

"I... I'm sorry." he babbled, confused.

"He meant no harm. We are just looking for supplies." Elissa tried to calm the man.

"What is in the other room doesn't concern you." the man said, his voice quavering as he brushed sweat on his forehead.

"He's hiding something." Zevran declared as he headed to the doorway.

"I told you it's private!" the man exclaimed, panicked.

He ran to Zevran and attacked the assassin with his bare hands, trying to defend whatever was hidden in the other room. Zevran unsheathed his knife and killed the man.

"I wonder what is worth dying for." Zevran said. "It's only a stockroom." He added, his eyes wandering around the crates covering the floor.

Elissa headed further into the stockroom. She tripped, her feet slipping on something covering the floor. She fell, her arm breaking her fall. She groaned in pain; her eyes opened slowly only to stare straight at death. Panicked seized her as she tried to sit, her feet still slipping in the pool of blood covering the floor. She stepped back quickly, her feet kicking in the blood, her eyes never leaving the human head on the floor, its eyes staring straight at her.

"Elissa?" Roland came to her but stopped as his eyes caught the dismembered bodies. "Maker's breath." Roland fell on his knees and took her in his arms, burying her face in his shoulder so she couldn't see the carnage anymore.

"What is it?" Alistair asked behind them. "Oh, no. The armors, and shields... they were Arl Eamon's knights; no wonder no one ever heard from them again. They killed them, but why?"

"We have to leave, now. This place is too dangerous. They probably killed Genitivi already." Roland said quickly, helping Elissa on her feet.

Outside people were waiting for them; heavily armed men and mages, ready to fight them so they wouldn't tell anyone what was happening in Haven. The small group unsheathed their weapons and fought for their lives as the villagers attacked them mercilessly.

Everything was going so fast, the enemy outnumbered them and each time one of the villagers died a new one appeared from nowhere. Elissa was exhausted, the muscles of her arm still burning after her fall. Her dagger plunged into a man's heart. She stood still a moment, trying to catch her breath and ease the pain. Her eyes wandered around, her friends were busy fighting enemies. She caught a movement from the corner of her eye; a mage, his hands twirling in the air as he cast a spell.

"Roland! Look out!" Elissa yelled as a stone fist was released from the mage's hand but the warning came too late.

The stone fist hit Roland in the chest and he collapsed on the ground. The man he was battling took advantage of the situation. He raised his sword above his head; an evil grin spreading on his face as he slowly lowered the weapon. Elissa ran as fast as she could, ignoring the pain. Her sword decapitated him before he could kill Roland. His head rolled, its progression stopped by a tree, and his corpse fell on the ground, inches from Roland's body. Already the mage was preparing to cast another spell.

"Alistair, the mage!" Elissa shouted when Alistair finished his enemy. The ex-templar looked at the mage and interrupted his spell before Zevran backstabbed him.

Elissa fell on her knees beside her love. "Rory?" she asked, her voice shaking as her fingers caressed his cheek.

The young man groaned in pain as he sat. "It seems this time you're the one who'll have to take care of me."

"Don't scare me like that ever again." she said, hitting his arm gently.

"Ow... careful. I'm wounded." he grinned as she helped him on his feet.

"I heard singing coming from the Chantry up there." Alistair said, heading toward the sound.

They opened the door of the Chantry and stepped him slowly, careful to avoid any unwanted attention. A man was saying a prayer to Andraste but stopped when he noticed them.

"Ah... welcome. I heard we had visitors. I trust you've enjoyed your time in Haven so far?" he asked, his voice harsh.

"Revered Father Eirik, I take it?" Elissa asked the man. He nodded, his eyes resting a moment on each member of her party.

"We've discovered bloodstained altars and the dismembered corpses of Arl Eamon's knights." she continued.

"This, my brothers, is what happens when you let an outsider into the village. They have no respect for our privacy." Eirik shouted angrily as the villagers gathered voiced their approbation.

"Privacy? You're killing innocent people!" Elissa exclaimed furiously.

"They will tell others of us if we let them in. Word will spread, and then what?" Eirik's menacing gaze fixed on her. "You, stranger, do not understand our ways. You would bring war to Haven in your ignorance."

"Bring war? We've been attacked because we were looking for someone!"

"Where is Brother Genitivi? Have you killed him yet?" Alistair asked.

"We don't owe you any explanation for our actions. We have a sacred duty; failure to protect Her would be a greater sin. All will be forgiven." Eirik said before raising his arms in the air to cast a spell.

Zevran ran to him, interrupting him before he could cast his spell, his lifeless body falling on the floor. The rest of the villagers attacked, their determination renewed at the sight of their fallen leader though they stood no chance against Elissa and her friends.

"We should look around; maybe Genitivi is here and still alive." Alistair said as the last villager fell.

"There's no one!" Elissa stared blankly at the empty room, despair overwhelming her. They had come all this way for nothing. She knew they were so close but they would never find the Urn without Genitivi.

"Do you hear that?" Zevran asked, curiously pressing his ear against a brick wall in the main room. "There is someone on the other side." he said, pushing the wall with Alistair's and Roland's help.

It took a moment but the wall moved, revealing a hidden room.

"Who... who are you?" a man lying on the floor asked, scared.

"My name is Elissa. You must be Brother Genitivi?"

A sigh of relief escaped the man's lips. "You have no idea how glad I am to see someone who isn't from Haven." He tried to sit and groaned in pain at the effort needed to do so.

"Are you alright?" Elissa asked him, worried.

"I will survive but my leg hurts, and I can't feel my foot."

"Wait, I have bandages." Roland knelt beside the man and bandaged him.

"Thank you. Tell me, why are you here?"

"We've been looking for you. We need the Urn to save Arl Eamon's life." Elissa explained.

"I didn't know the arl was sick. Will he live?"

"I don't know; I hope so."

"I'm sure the Ashes will cure him. We are so close; the Urn is just up that mountain. There is a temple there, built to protect it. The door is locked but I know how to open it. You need a key; Eirik's medallion. He must be wearing it. Take it and I will lead you to the temple."

"You need to rest." Elissa started to argue but the man was stubborn.

"No, I'm going with you. I have waited all my life for this moment. I will not wait here while you go. If you help me I know I can make it. I'll try not to slow us down." Genitivi insisted.

"All right, let's leave now." Elissa finally agreed.


	9. Chapter 9

_Another chapter longer than usual and not much romance in it. _

_- some dialog comes from the game-_

_Thanks for reading and reviewing. It makes my day to know what people think of my little fantasy :)

* * *

  
_

Brother Genitivi had shown them the way to the old temple, his faith leading him despite the pain and exhaustion. Elissa wasn't sure if she believed the legend; sometimes she wasn't even sure she believed in the Maker anymore after all that happened. But seeing the hope in Alistair's eyes was enough for her to go on, to search for the ashes and try to save the arl.

The temple's architecture was breathtaking even though it was covered with ice and snow. Elissa could feel something in the air, something she couldn't describe. She felt stronger somehow, and at peace. She knew the others felt the same way when they seemed to relax a little.

But the feeling of peace was not to last; more villagers attacked them, defending their beliefs at the cost of their lives. The attacks were more and more vicious as they had to fight not only villagers but blood mages, dragonlings and drakes as well.

"The caverns... it seems to go up. Maybe it's leading outside." Alistair remarked as he noticed lights straight ahead.

"Stop! You will go no further." A tall and menacing man shouted as he saw them, his arms crossed on his chest. "You have defiled our temple. You have spilled the blood of the faithful, and slaughtered our young. No more. You will tell me now, intruders, why have you done all this? Why have you come here?"

"We meant you no harm. We have come here for the Urn of Sacred Ashes." Elissa replied.

"You have done this all for an ancient relic?"

"We need it to save a man's life."

"Know this, stranger... the prophet Andraste has overcome death itself and has returned to her faithful in a form more radiant than you can imagine! Not even the Tevinter Imperium can hope to slay Her now. What hope do you have?" He leaned closer to Elissa, his gaze menacing, his tone hard and defiant.

"What are you talking about? Andraste is dead." Elissa told the man, feeling uneasy at the closeness. She took a step back and swallowed as the man's eyes locked on hers.

"You know nothing!" he spat in anger. "Andraste revealed Herself to us! We are Her Chosen!" Elissa heard a metallic sound and understood he and his followers were preparing for battle.

"To arms, my brethren! Andraste will grant us victory!" he shouted, his sword in the air.

Elissa quickly unsheathed her own weapons, the clash of metal echoing in her ears as the weapons made contact. The man pushed his attack, soon taking the advantage. She saw a flash of movement beside her as Roland attacked the man with his shield, leaving her enough time to prepare for the next assault.

The man's followers proved no match for Zevran and Alistair who quickly defeated them and joined the battle against their leader. The man was a formidable foe, the fight going on and on as he refused to be defeated as quickly as the others. But as strong as he was, he was still alone and soon he was lying on his back, all life gone from his body.

"What do you think he meant when he said Andraste overcame death and revealed Herself to them?" Elissa asked, trying to catch her breath.

"He was mad, they all were." Roland replied. "We should move on. The Urn must be close now."

They left the caverns and headed outside, the light hurting their eyes for a second. They heard a deafening sound and then a clap of wings. Their eyes searched the horizon, wondering what made the noises. A high dragon appeared in the sky, flying so near Elissa almost fell.

"A dragon." Roland breathed, his eyes shining in excitement at the sight of a real dragon.

"I think we should be careful not to draw that thing near." Alistair said, his voice trembling a bit, his eyes fixed on the now resting dragon in the mountain.

"Alistair is right, we must be careful. I have not come all the way here to be eaten by a dragon." Elissa declared, making her way on the bridge.

Midway she saw another temple in the distance, smaller than the one they just left but as imposing. She made her way to it, her friends following closely.

OooooooooooooooO

"I... feel like we have just entered the Grand Cleric's bedchambers. Where no one has gone before..." Zevran chuckled, bringing a groan of exasperation from Roland.

"Zevran, please, this is a Holy place. Show some respect." Elissa muttered.

"I bid you welcome, pilgrims." a voice said, startling the little group. "I am the Guardian, the protector of the Urn of Sacred Ashes. It has been my duty, my life, to protect the Urn and prepare the faithful who come to revere Andraste."

"We need the Urn to save a noble man from death. How do we get to it?"

"You have come to honor Andraste, and you shall, if you prove yourself worthy."

"How must we prove ourselves?"

"You will undergo four tests of faith, and we shall see how your soul fares. If you are found worthy, you will see the Urn and be allowed to take a small pinch of the Ashes for yourself. If you are not..." his voice trailed off, the unspoken threat sinking in Elissa's brain as she wondered what would truly happen if they were not found worthy.

"We should start the tests then."

"Before you go, there is something I must ask. I see that the path that led you here was not easy. There is suffering in your past, your suffering and the suffering of others. You abandoned your father and mother to the hands of Rendon Howe, knowing he would show no mercy. Do you think you failed your parents?"

Elissa's eyes fixed the ground at her feet, tears of guilt forming. "They wanted me to survive so I could tell about Howe's treachery; though...though I could have prevented the attack. I could have saved them. If only I had listened to them, everyone would still be alive."

"Thank you, it is all I wished to know." the Guardian replied, showing no emotion.

"Elissa, you told me yourself; no one could have saved them, no one knew." Roland said, taking her hand in his to comfort her.

"And you, knight of Highever, do you think you failed the people you were sworn to protect?" the Guardian asked, his eyes fixing on Roland.

"I trained all my life... I should have been able to save them." he replied, his voice low.

"And you still doubt yourself, or is that not the reason for your countless sleepless nights?"

Roland remained silent, his eyes flashing in anger at the Guardian, his fingers involuntarily tightening their grip on Elissa's hand. The Guardian turned his attention to Alistair, resuming with his questions.

"Roland." Elissa looked at him, her other hand turning his head to face her. "You failed no one; you were my father's best knight and I know you did everything you could."

"I don't know..." he muttered softly, his grip on her hand softening as the anger vanished.

"The path is open." the Guardian said before vanishing.

"Let's go with those tests. I don't like this place." Alistair said, heading to the open door.

Their first test was to answer riddles asked by people from Andraste's past. Elissa was grateful her friends were there to help her, some of the riddles being trickier than others.

The second door opened after the last spirit vanished, revealing a man standing in the middle of a small room.

"Father?" Elissa asked, closing the distance between her and her father's spirit.

"Look at you, a fine warrior and a Grey Warden." the spirit said, pride in his voice. He took a moment to look at Elissa, his expression suddenly saddening. "You don't need to feel guilty for what happened."

"I should have fought harder to save you."

"You would have shared our faith, pup. We didn't want that. We wanted you to survive."

Elissa closed her eyes, tears forming behind her lids. "I regret saying those mean things to you; I am sorry for not being the daughter you wanted me to be."

"You love him and it was hard for you, both of you, to let go. It was not easy for us to see you so sad afterwards, knowing that your heart was broken because of us. We never knew what he truly meant to you.

We always loved you, pup, no matter what. And we will always be proud of our daughter." the spirit smiled warmly and embraced Elissa. "I love you, pup."

"I love you too, father." Elissa muttered to the empty spot the spirit occupied seconds before. "Let's go." she said sadly, already heading to the third room.

The third test was trickier than they expected. Standing still in the middle of the room, weapons ready for a fight, were four spirits, one of each of them. Elissa didn't truly know what the purpose to fight themselves was. She wondered if maybe it had something to do with the previous tests, if it was some way to let go of their past and move on. All Elissa knew for sure was that she'd have to find that answer herself as the spirit representing her vanished without answering the questions in her mind.

Only one test remained. They made their way to the last chamber. She saw a tall statue in the back, lighted by the sunlight penetrating from a hole in the ceiling. She knew if the ashes existed they were where the statue was but between them and their prize was fire. A small altar stood at the entry and Elissa went to it, her fingers caressing the cold stone as she read the inscription carved on it.

_Cast off the trappings of worldly life and cloak yourself in the goodness of spirit. King and slave, lord and beggar; be born anew in the Maker's sight._

"Maker's breath, they must be kidding." Elissa exclaimed as she stepped back from the altar.

"What is it?" Roland asked behind her.

She leaned closer to him. "We are supposed to remove our equipment. All of it." she whispered as he read the inscription, a smile spreading on his lips.

"It's not that bad, Elissa. There's nothing I haven't already seen at least a hundred times." He looked at her, grinning.

Elissa raised an eyebrow, her arms crossing on her chest. He looked at her for a moment, his expression thoughtful.

"I promise not to look if you don't look either."

"I thought there was nothing I haven't already seen at least a hundred times." Elissa said, smiling mischievously, examining Roland from head to toe.

"Now that I think of it, the situation is different. I think it will be better if we don't look." Roland explained, his cheeks coloring a deep shade of red.

Elissa's eyes caught a movement behind Roland and she remembered the rest of their party. She sighed, her eyes remaining on Zevran. "Maker, if I had known I wouldn't have asked Zevran to come with us."

Roland snorted at the thought of Zevran examining her. "I won't let him look at you."

"Something's wrong?" Alistair asked.

"It says to cast off the trappings of worldly life." Elissa informed him.

"What! We have to get naked!" Alistair exclaimed, surprised, his cheeks and the tip of his ears red.

"I love the idea!" Zevran exclaimed joyfully, already removing his armor.

"I bet you do..." Roland whispered angrily.

"Don't be shy, my friends." Zevran laughed, his eyes riveted on Elissa, a curious smile spreading on his face.

"I suggest no one looks at the others." Alistair stammered, his cheeks and ears redder by the second.

"I agree." Roland hissed, his eyes fixed on Zevran.

"Fine, fine... I won't look. I promise." Zevran pouted.

They undressed and crossed the fire; Roland staying close to Elissa to make sure the elf wouldn't see a thing.

"You have been through the trials of the Gauntlet; you have walked the path of Andraste, and like Her, you have been cleansed. You have proven yourself worthy, pilgrims." The voice of the Guardian echoed in the empty room, the man remaining in the doorway, smiling gently at them.

Elissa put back her armor quickly and crossed the room to the statue. A small silver urn stood in front of it. Elissa extended trembling fingers, afraid to touch the holy relic.

"Nice vase. I should get one for my house." Zevran said, leaning over shoulder to take a better look.

"Zevran!" Elissa said, her eyes locking on the elf who stepped back. "Please, show some respect to the dead."

Elissa extended her hands again and lifted the urn's lid. She took a pinch of the ashes and put it in small leather pouch before leaving the old temple.

OooooooooooooooO

"Did you find it?" Genitivi asked excitedly as he saw them. Elissa nodded and showed the man the ashes.

"Oh Maker... I"m not worthy to look upon... What was it like? Coming to the Urn I mean."

"There were tests to prove our worthiness."

"Tests? That is interesting." the man said thoughtfully. "We must organize an expedition. There is so much history here. It must be studied. And pilgrims... pilgrims should be allowed to come to the Urn."

"I don't think it's a good idea. People could try to exploit this discovery." Elissa warned the man but he argued.

"It belongs to all the faithful! We must share it! I will return to home now; I have much work to do. If you ever come to Denerim, feel free to visit me. I'll be happy to see you again, my friend."


	10. Chapter 10

_Once again I would like to thank my constant reviewers Jen4306, Evalyne, Roxfox1962 and CCBug. Writting wouldn't be so nice without your constant nice words. Thank you :) And thanks to everyone else who takes time to review or just read. It means so much :)_

_So here we have again some tender moment between Elissa and Rory. I also adapted their return to Redcliffe and the meeting with the arl, to add a bit of drama! Hope you'll like it :)

* * *

_

Elissa's eyes focused on the fire camp, her knees pressed tightly against her chest, her thoughts wandering. She could hear Leliana asking a ton of questions about their quest, her tone excited as Alistair told her how magnificent the temple was. A part of her wanted to join her friends but another part wanted to remain alone with her thoughts. She heard footsteps in the grass but didn't pay attention to the intruder.

"You've been awfully quiet since we left the temple." Roland sat next to her, frowning. Elissa remained silent, her eyes never leaving the crackling fire. "What's troubling you? Is it because of what happened with the Guardian and your father's spirit?"

"Yes and no." she muttered, still hypnotized by the flames dancing in front of her.

"You said you could have saved everyone. What did you mean by that?"

"Nothing." A tear dropped from her eye and rolled on her cheek. She brushed it absently, her arm returning around her knees.

Roland looked at her, silent, as he understood how she felt when she tried to have him talk about what happened but failing. He sighed, his arm wrapping around her.

"The rumors were true, weren't they?"

"What rumors?" she asked, betraying no emotion.

"About Thomas Howe and you. That's what you meant when you said you could have saved them"

"I don't know what the rumors said about us."

"That you were getting married."

"He proposed a week before the attack." Elissa turned her head slowly, her eyes fixing on Roland, her expression sad. "I told him it was too soon, I needed time to think. I knew I didn't have a choice to accept but I tried to delay the inevitable... but at what cost."

"Do you truly believe it would have changed something?"

"His father wouldn't have attacked us."

"You don't know that, my love. Howe wants power, no matter what. He would have attacked eventually."

"Thomas loved me; Howe wouldn't kill his son's wife."

"Elissa, he tried to kill you and I'm sure he knew his son's feelings for you. I don't think he ever cared for his children."

"Maybe..." she whispered softly, unconvinced.

"That's not the only thing troubling you, is it?"

"No." Elissa gave no further explanation, hypnotized by the fire. Roland caressed her back tenderly, waiting for her to continue but she remained silent.

She rested her head on his shoulder; he pressed his head on hers and closed his eyes, exhausted by the day's events. He knew he would soon fall asleep and though he tried to struggle, sleep claimed him slowly.

"I don't even know if he is still alive." Elissa's voice startled him and he opened his eyes quickly.

"What?" he asked sleepily, not knowing how long he slept.

"I should have tried to find him before going to Lothering but we didn't have time. We had to leave before someone could find us. And after that I simply forgot..." she raised her head, her blue eyes filled with tears. "How can I forget my own brother?"

"You have a lot on your mind, my love. You and Alistair are the only surviving Grey Wardens and you must unite Ferelden against the darkspawn; this isn't an easy task." He kissed her gently. "Don't torture yourself like that; I'm sure Fergus would understand why you couldn't search for him right away. If you want, as soon as the Blight is over, we'll look for him together. I'm sure he is still alive."

"Thank you, Rory." she muttered, pressing herself tighter against his body. "I'm sorry for waking you."

"Waking me? I just closed my eyes, I wasn't sleeping." he lied, his cheeks burning.

"You were snoring, love." she laughed softly. "It's been a long day, you are exhausted and I know you haven't been sleeping very well lately. Maybe you should go to bed, try to get some sleep even if it's only for a few hours."

"I'm fine, really. I'm awake now if you still need to talk."

"No, I suppose you are right; I should stop torturing myself with everything. Besides, I am tired and cold..." a mischievous smile spread slowly on her lips, her voice a whisper as she continued, her eyes fixed on his "...and you owe me for saving your life in Haven."

"I thought you wanted me to get some sleep." Roland raised an eyebrow, grinning.

Elissa leaned forward, her lips brushed against his but without kissing him. "If you prefer to sleep, it's your choice..." She rose slowly, and headed to their tent, swaying her hips sensually. She turned her head, her eyes fixed on his and smiled lovingly.

She closed the flap behind her before throwing her shirt outside. Roland rose quickly and followed her in the tent, all traces of sleep vanished.

OooooooooooooooooO

They were back in Redcliffe, waiting to know if the Ashes would cure the arl. Once again the wait was driving Elissa crazy and she had to take deep breaths to remain calm. She sat on the floor, her back against the wall, her mabari's head in her lap. She stroked the dog's head absently, wondering how long they'd still have to wait. It took an eternity but Alistair finally came in the throne room.

"It worked, the arl is awake." He smiled happily, relieved. "He would like to talk to us."

"Ah, there you are." Arl Eamon greeted her solemly. "Thank you for saving my life and keeping my family safe. I am in your debt."

Teagan helped his brother to a seat. The arl motioned them to join him, his eyes fixed on Elissa. "Teagan told me what happened to your family, Lady Cousland. I am sorry; your father was a good friend."

"Thank you, my Lord, but there is no need to call me Lady Cousland anymore. I am a Grey Warden now."

"I never fully trusted Rendon Howe but I never thought he would betray his best friend. Do you know why he attacked your family?"

"I don't know." Elissa replied sadly.

"I am sorry for bringing back such memories." Eamon smiled at her, his hand squeezing her arm gently.

"We should speak of Loghain, brother. We don't know what he will do when he learns of your recovery."

"Loghain..." the arl sighed sadly. "I have known him for a long time; he is a sensible man who never desired power."

"I was there when he proclaimed himself regent. Anora seems to think her father does what is best for Ferelden but I don't believe that." Teagan explained.

"What is best for Ferelden? He killed Cailan and sent someone to poison me."

"He allied himself with Howe." Elissa blurted, remembering what Zevran had told her. "He blames the Grey Wardens for Cailan's death. Howe hired an assassin to kill us. I am not sure if he knows I am still alive or if it's only a coincidence but they will not stop until they achieve their goal."

"Are you sure he is working with Howe?" Eamon asked, confused. Elissa nodded. "This is most troubling. We must stop them."

"We can't fight Loghain and the darkspawn at the same time. Loghain has supporters but I am not convinced they know the truth. We must expose him." Elissa exclaimed, rising from her seat. Alistair, startled by the sudden outburst, looked at her curiously.

"I will spread words of Loghain's treachery but we have no proof. If we want to succeed, we need something else." The arl fixed Alistair, studying him carefully. "We need someone with a stronger claim to the throne than Loghain's daughter. I know Maric never wanted this, but he never expected what happened. We have no choice."

"No, no, no..." Alistair started, fully aware of where the conversation was leading.

"You intend to put Alistair forward as king?" Elissa asked, her eyes fixing on her friend. "I think it could work. It will take Loghain by surprise and I'm sure some nobles would support Maric's son."

"I don't want to be king!" the young man protested vehemently.

"You have a responsibility, Alistair. Without you, Loghain wins. Do you want that?"

"No..." Alistair grumbled, reluctantly accepting his fate.

"I will call for a Landsmeet. There, Ferelden's nobility can decide who shall rule."

"While you expose Loghain and prepare the Landsmeet we will continue our task to gather allies against the Blight."

"It is a good idea. I am sure you and your friends need some rest. Perhaps you would consider staying here for the night?"

"Thank you, my Lord."

OooooooooooooooooO

They rejoined the others in the throne room, Alistair furiously shouting at Elissa.

"How could you do that to me? I thought we were friends!"

"We are friends, Alistair."

"How can you say that? A friend wouldn't backstab me the way you did!"

Fully aware of everyone's eyes on them, Elissa grabbed Alistair's arm and looked at him, lowering her voice. "I understand your anger, Alistair, but we don't have a choice. I care about you, a lot. You are a dear friend and it doesn't please me to go against your wishes but -"

"No, you don't care. No one ever cared." Alistair interrupted her before storming out of the room. Morrigan's eyes followed the young man, an evil grin on her face.

Elissa sighed and massaged the bridge of her nose in an attempt to calm herself.

"We are spending the night here; we'll leave tomorrow for Orzammar." she declared roughly before heading to her own room, Roland on her heels.

"Wait, Elissa. What's going on?" He grabbed her arm to stop her. "I have seen him upset over some things before but never like that. What happened with the arl?"

"Not here; come." She led him to her room and collapsed on the bed. "He thinks I betrayed him."

"Why would he think such a thing?" Roland inquired, sitting next to her.

"Bann Teagan informed us Loghain wants to control the throne. The arl came up with a plan and I agreed to it which displeased Alistair greatly."

"That doesn't explain why he yelled at you."

"He is right, Rory. I betrayed him. He trusted me with something and I went against him."

"I'm sure you had good reasons to agree to the arl's plan."

Elissa sighed. "It's not that easy, Rory. Eamon asked Alistair to do something he doesn't want to. And I agreed to it, though I knew his feelings about the whole thing."

"I'm sure if you explain your decision to him he will understand."

"I'm not so sure about that."

"Elissa, you are friends. He needs you though he won't admit it to you. Go talk to him before it's too late."

"I don't think it's not a good idea..." she argued as Roland pushed her out of the room.

OooooooooooooooooO

Elissa stood still, her hand and forehead pressed on the door. She heard noises from inside the room and wondered if he was calm enough to listen to her. She didn't want him to yell at her again, she knew she wouldn't bear to lose his friendship. She knocked hesitantly and entered without waiting for an answer.

"What do you want?" Alistair asked roughly.

"We need to talk."

"No."

"I know you don't want to be king, Alistair, but Eamon is right. You are our only hope against Loghain."

"And you think using me is right?" he shouted angrily.

"We are not using you."

"If I recall correctly you said it would take Loghain by surprise. You and Eamon are using me against Loghain!"

"Alistair..."

"No. I will remain at your side to fight the darkspawn but don't expect more from me."

Elissa turned to leave but stopped, her hand on the door knob.

"You want to know why I agreed to Eamon's plan? Because Ferelden needs a good king."

"I am no king."

"I know you, Alistair; you are a good man and a better leader than you think. I don't know why you don't trust yourself, but I do. We need you. I am sorry you don't see it, and I am sorry our friendship is over. I valued it greatly."

"You really think what you said?" he asked after a moment.

"Yes, I do."

"I know nothing about being king."

Elissa closed the distance between them and placed her hand on his heart. "Follow your instincts like you always do. Follow your heart and you will be the kind of king your father was; respected and loved by everyone. I have faith in you, Alistair, and so does Eamon."

"Why do you put so much faith in me?"

"Because I know you, you are my friend."

Alistair looked at her thoughtfully and smiled sadly. "I am sorry for overreacting and being selfish. I don't want to lose your friendship. Will you forgive me for yelling at you?"

"Don't worry, it's already forgotten." she whispered before hugging her friend tight.


	11. Chapter 11

_Thanks again to my constant reviewers Jen4306, Evalyne, Roxfox1962 and CCBug. I am always glad to know what you think of this fantasy. Also a huge thanks to everyone else who reviews or simply read though I love to know what people think :D_

_In the last chapter I had Elissa say they'd be going to Orzammar but decided to make a little detour first, I thought it could be interesting. Enjoy the reading! :)_

* * *

"Has anyone told you what marvellous eyes you possess, my dear?" Zevran asked seductively, his tongue slowly licking his upper lip.

"Again with the flattery?" Morrigan replied, unimpressed by his attempts. "Do you not tire from these pointless exercises?"

"In Antiva, women are accustomed to being showered with the praise they deserve. Men should worship you at your feet as you pass."

"Zevran lives dangerously." Elissa whispered to Roland, turning her head slightly to witness the exchange between the two. "It's not the first time he tries to seduce Morrigan. The other day she even used magic to dissuade him to continue but it seems he won't listen."

"Zevran flirts with anything he could bed. But as long as he stays away from you, he can try to seduce whomever he wants... Though I overheard something he told Sten the other day. It was... disturbing." Roland shook his head as if to get rid of some horrible mental images.

"Sten? That is not something I'd like to see. I suppose I'd better keep an eye on him, then. I don't want him to realize just how wonderful you are." Elissa chuckled, returning her attention to the road ahead.

"Please, don't say something like that ever again or I'll have nightmares." he shivered, a horrified expression appearing on his face.

"Don't worry about having nightmares, my love. I know just how to change your mind afterwards."

"Elissa, you are a naughty woman." Roland exclaimed, raising an eyebrow.

"I don't remember you complaining last night..." she smiled seductively at him and he bent to kiss her.

"Now I'm sure to get sick." Morrigan groaned from behind, making the lovers laugh.

"Great..." Alistair muttered as he ran back to them, beckoning the party to be silent. Elissa looked at him questioningly. "There are armed men ahead."

"Bandits?"

"No, I don't think so. They look like guards but I don't recognize their uniform."

"If they didn't see you we could try to ambush them." Roland proposed, the other two nodding their agreement.

Elissa told the others to remain hidden and silently left with Roland and Alistair. They took a closer look at the armed men who were roughing someone.

"These are Bann Loren's men." Roland informed them. "He is a minor lord and from what I've heard, not well-loved. Now I can see why..."

"Wait a minute..." Alistair muttered, leaning forward, clearly disturbed. "That man over there, I know him. He was at Ostagar. He wears the uniform of King Cailan's honor guard."

"We should help him." Elissa whispered, unsheathing her weapons and attacking the first guard, closely followed by her friends.

Unprepared for their assault, the guards didn't give much resistance but their rescue mission failed as they noticed the other man lying in a pool of blood.

"Thank... thank you." the man said, words painfully crossing his lips. Elissa knelt beside him and examined the wound, understanding it was too late for him.

"I tried to escape from the Bann but his men found me faster than I'd hope." His eyes fixed Alistair and studied the young man for a moment. "I know you... I've seen you at Ostagar, with Duncan."

"Yes, I am Alistair. Elissa and I are Grey Wardens."

"My name is Elric, I was there to guard the king. He was my friend and now he is dead." He grabbed Elissa's arm with strength she didn't think he'd have in his condition. He had a desperate expression on his face as he fought death. "I need your help with something. King Cailan entrusted me with the key to the royal arms chest. He wanted me to deliver it to the Grey Wardens if anything happened to him."

"What's so important in that chest?" Elissa asked, surprised at the man's last request.

"Documents. I don't know what they're about but they are important. The key is still in Ostagar, I hid it, in case something happened to me. It is behind a loose stone in the base of a statue near the Mages' encampment. Please, Warden, find the key and secure the documents." Elric pleaded before closing his eyes one last time.

"I wonder why those documents are so valuable." Alistair said curiously behind her. "I think we should go, perhaps we will find something that will prove Loghain's treachery and clear the Wardens."

Elissa fixed the dead man beside her. She didn't know what to do; as valuable as the documents might be she didn't think they would be of any help to them and besides Ostagar was days away while they would reach Orzammar in a few hours. Elissa sighed, feeling Alistair's eyes on her. She turned her head and looked at his eyes filled with tears. He looked at her, silently pleading her to accept.

"Let's go. Ostagar is far and we still have a lot to do." Elissa said reluctantly, agreeing to help Elric only because she wouldn't bear to disappoint Alistair again.

OoooooooooooooooooooooO

She knew they were near as the stench of rotten corpses filled the air. They silently made their way to the mages' encampment, those who were there for the battle painfully remembering what happened a lifetime ago. Elissa spotted the statue Elric described and searched the base, her fingers closing around a small metallic object.

"Do you have it?" Alistair asked her as she showed him the key. "The royal encampment is near, let's go."

They found the royal chest still intact; Elissa inserted the key and the chest opened, revealing the documents Elric mentioned. She retrieved them and handed the pile to Alistair, her attention returning to the other object in the chest. She extended her hand and took the object with reverence.

"I read about it so many times but I never thought it truly existed. I always thought it was only a legend." she muttered, her fingers caressing the glowing blade that was hidden in the chest.

"Maker's breath..." Roland whispered amazed, looking at the sword over her shoulder. "It is just the way they described it."

"What's so special about that sword besides the fact that it's glowing?" Alistair asked, wondering why his friends were so interested in it. Elissa turned to him, smiling.

"This is the weapon of a king." she informed him, handing him the sword. "This was your father's sword, the one he found in the Deep Roads. And now it belongs to you."

Alistair carefully took the sword and examined it. "It truly is a beautiful blade but I don't know if I should take it."

"Why not? It is yours now, Alistair. If what they say in the books is true, the blade weakens the darkspawn."

"Thank you." he said, accepting the gift.

"We should go now."

"Wait, we can't leave now. We must find Duncan's body and give him a proper burial."

"Alistair..."

"Please, Elissa. He was my friend." Alistair asked, making those puppy eyes Elissa hated so much because she couldn't resist. She cursed him in her head, convinced he knew she couldn't deny him anything when he did that.

"I'm sure Orzammar will still be there..." she sighed reluctantly.

OoooooooooooooooooooooO

On the way to the battlefield, they discovered the rotting corpse of King Cailan. Just as they were about to take him down his resting place, darkspawn viciously attacked them, some of them insulting the memory of the dead king by parading in pieces of his armor. Alistair's anger grew as he fought the enemy, allowing Elissa to discover a side of him she never knew existed.

She watched Alistair decapitate the last darkspawn and headed to him.

"I found the last piece of Cailan's armor." he said, removing it from the corpse of the emissary he just killed.

"I'm sorry we couldn't find Duncan's body. I don't know what they did with the dead but there is no one here."

"We still can honor his memory, like we said we would."

"Yes, when all this is over, we will. I promise."

"I found something of is." Alistair said, taking something beside him before handing it to her. "His sword and dagger."

"I can't accept those, Alistair. You knew him better than I did."

"I'm sure he would like you to have them. I want you to have them."

"Thank you." she whispered, sheathing her new weapons.

"There is one last thing to do here before leaving." he added sadly.

Elissa nodded and followed him to the bridge, to the king's corpse.

OoooooooooooooooooooooO

Roland's eyes were fixed on Alistair who was standing alone near the pyre. He felt a hand slid in his and turned his attention to Elissa.

"It is difficult for him to be here." he stated sadly.

"He lost more than any of us." she replied, her eyes fixed on her friend in the distance.

"When you gave him King Maric's sword you told him it was his father's. Is he really Maric's son?" Roland finally asked the question that had been tormenting him ever since they discovered the weapon.

"He is. That's why he was so angry with me, in Redcliffe. Arl Eamon wants him to take Cailan's place on the throne and I agreed with him even though I know Alistair doesn't want to be king. Do you mind if I go talk to him?"

"Of course not; he needs a friend, someone who knows what he's going through."

"I'll be back soon." She kissed his cheek gently and walked slowly to her friend.

Elissa watched Alistair who was still unaware of her presence, his eyes fixed on the body of his brother burning slowly, tears smearing his face.

"He tried to protect you, you know." she said after a moment of silence.

"Who?" he asked curiously, startled by the sound of her voice.

"It wasn't Duncan's choice to send you with me to light the beacon."

"What do you mean?"

"He told Duncan to send you with me. He said he wanted the best for that mission so he picked you."

"He picked me? I never thought he knew about me."

Elissa closed the distance between them and took his hand in hers, squeezing it gently. They remained silent, their eyes hypnotized by the fire. After a long moment Alistair finally spoke.

"Elric was right; the documents we found are valuable. Cailan formed an alliance with the Empress of Orlais."

"Do you think Loghain knew and that's why he let him die?"

"I don't know..." Alistair sighed, his eyes fixed on her. "Let's go."

"We can stay a little longer if you want."

"No, I'm done here. Let's just go." he said, unconsciously tightening his grip on her hand.


	12. Chapter 12

_Thanks again to my constant reviewers Jen4306, Evalyne, Roxfox1962 and CCBug. And also thanks to everyone else who reads and review :) Makes my day to see people are interested to my little story :) _

_Shorter chapter, the first part of the Orzammar quest is kind of a pain and I didn't have a lot of interesting things to say. I decided to add a little action with the dog though, I forget about the poor thing most of the time hehe _

_Next time it will be the Deep Roads and some Oghren time! :)_

_Enjoy the reading! :D

* * *

_

They were nearing Orzammar's gates when they heard the shouting. Alistair glanced curiously at Elissa before they made their way toward the source of the dispute.

"King Loghain demands the allegiance of the deshyrs or lords or whatever you call them in your Assembly!"

"_**King**_ Loghain?" Alistair muttered angrily. "Bann Teagan was right, Loghain will stop at nothing."

"We will stop him, Alistair. He will not get away with what he did so easily." Elissa promised, squeezing her friend's arm gently. "I think we should go check what _**King**_ Loghain expects to find in Orzammar." she said, rolling her eyes as she mentioned the man's title.

"I don't care if you're the king's wiper. Orzammar will have none but it's own until our throne is settled." the dwarven guard informed Loghain's messenger.

The messenger was about to argue further but Elissa interrupted him. "I need to talk to your king about a very important matter."

"I am sorry but no one gets in until the throne is settled." the guard repeated coldly.

"I really need to talk to your king." Elissa insisted.

"Orzammar has no king. Endrin Aeducan returned to the Stone not three weeks ago." He informed her with a slightly sad tone.

"But the Grey Wardens need their dwarven allies. A Blight is coming; we need your help."

The guard looked at them thoughtfully for a moment, wondering if she was telling the truth. Elissa took the Treaties from her pack and handed it to the guard who examined it closely.

"The Wardens killed king Cailan. They're sworn enemies of King Loghain!" the messenger suddenly exclaimed, reminding everyone of his presence.

"That is the royal seal. You may pass." The guard handed back the Treaties to Elissa, ignoring Loghain's messenger.

"Grey Wardens are traitors! They must be executed for their crimes!" the messenger exclaimed, unsheathing his sword and preparing to fight.

"Traitors? Your false king is the one who abandoned king Cailan on the battlefield and now he blames the Wardens for his own crimes." Elissa spat angrily at the man, slowly unsheathing her own weapons.

"I've heard enough, Warden. You will pay for what you did."

"That remains to be seen." she declared bravely, preparing to fight.

The messenger rushed to her, his sword high but Elissa countered his attack, attacking quickly with her dagger and injuring the man badly. He fell on his knees, his arm clutched tightly on his side, blood oozing from an open wound.

"Return to your false king and tell him we will be there soon." Elissa said, wiping the blood on her dagger before sheathing it.

The man looked at her incredulously, fear in his eyes, before rising quickly and running away from her, his companions on his heels.

"I admit I didn't think he would leave, Warden. You are free to enter Orzammar. Try to speak to Stewart Bandelor in the Assembly, maybe he'll be able to help you but I doubt it."

OooooooooooooooooooooooooooO

"So this is Orzammar. It's ... beautiful... in its own way." Elissa muttered, her eyes wandering around, impressed at the sight of the underground city.

Loud voices interrupted the companions' thoughts and all of them looked intently at the scene taking place in the commons. Two men were arguing and Elissa understood these men were the two in line to become king.

"Handlers! Separate these deshyrs in the Diamond Quarter! I will not have Bhelen insight a riot." One of the guard said, trying the calm them.

"Don't speak that way about the man who should be king!"a heavily armed man shouted as he swung his axe and killed the guard in cold blood.

Everyone around looked at him, shocked expressions on their faces. The man named Harrowmont whispered something to his second before fleeing the scene. The murderer maintained his position, his axe ready for more killing, the dead man's blood dripping on the hilt.

"I'm not sure it was a good idea to come here if they allow people to kill each other like that..." Elissa declared, unsure their mission was worth the risk.

"Let's try not to get onto anyone's bad side, shall we?" Alistair laughed nervously, hoping to lighten the mood.

Everyone agreed and they headed to the Assembly, followed by the suspicious glances of the locals. They entered the Chamber of Assembly and witnessed another dispute between Harrowmont's and Bhelen's supporters. Elissa sighed, knowing that mission wouldn't be easy.

The session ended. The party watched the deshyrs leave, still arguing amongst them. The dwarf who held the session stopped in front of them, his arms crossed on his chest.

"This is the Assembly of the Clans. Only deshyrs and occasional guests of state are allowed in." he informed them, his tone harsh.

"We are Grey Wardens. We've been told to speak with Stewart Bandelor."

"Forgive me. I'm so exhausted I completely forgot about the message from the gate guard." The man frowned, his tone friendlier. "I am Stewart Bandelor. Welcome to Orzammar, Wardens. I hope you can forgive our unrest. The loss of our king has hit us hard. Respect for your role is great but I'm afraid you won't receive a proper hearing until we have a king on the throne."

"A Blight is coming, we need your help if we want to succeed."

"What you say is troubling but as long as the throne is empty, the Assembly will be blind to all else."

"Is there anyone who could help us?" she asked, her voice desperate.

The man scratched his head, thinking. "You could speak with Dulin Forender, Harrowmont's man, or with Vartag Gavorn, Prince Bhelen's second."

"In other words you are asking me to pick a side and help settle this dispute?" Elissa looked at him suspiciously.

"I am sorry, Warden. It's the best I can do. If you'll excuse me, I am wanted elsewhere."

"I don't like the idea of meddling into dwarven affairs." Elissa muttered as she watched the Stewart leave.

"I don't like it either but we don't really have a choice. Maybe we should head back to camp and sleep on it. Maybe tomorrow we'll have clear ideas." Alistair replied.

OooooooooooooooooooooooooooO

"What is he doing?" Roland asked angrily as the dog stole his meal for the second time that evening. "I swear Bane hates me."

"He doesn't hate you, Rory. He just wants to play with you." Elissa laughed happily, her hand patting his arm gently.

"Great, now I'll starve because he only wants to play with my food... Let's not mention the socks he ate, amongst other things."

"I'm sorry, Rory. I don't know what's got into him. Everyone seems to have problems with Bane lately. Here, you can have my dinner, I'm not hungry. I'll get him before he creates more trouble." Elissa handed her plate to Roland.

"Elissa, come back. I'm not really upset..." Roland said but Elissa was already running after Bane who decided to hide in the nearby woods.

Elissa sighed angrily. She didn't need her dog to behave, she already had enough troubles as it was. All she wanted was a quiet evening by the fire with her friends, not a run in the wilds to catch her dog.

"Bane! Come here, bad boy!" she shouted but the dog remained deaf to her command.

She heard the rustle of leaves and spotted someone huddled against a tree.

"Alistair?" she called softly as she recognized his silhouette. The young man turned his head and looked at her approaching.

"If you're looking for your dog he went that way." he said, pointing to the north.

"No, it's fine. He'll go back to camp eventually. What's going on, why are you here all alone?" she asked her friend, sitting next to him.

"I was thinking about what happened and I wanted to tell you I'm sorry." he mumbled sadly.

"What? Why?" Elissa asked him, surprised to receive apologies.

"If I didn't ask to go to Ostagar we wouldn't be in this situation. I know we are losing precious time by helping them and it's my fault."

Elissa smiled warmly, her hand squeezing his. "It's not your fault. I know enough about dwarves and their politics to know this situation is not uncommon to them. The gate guard said their king died three weeks ago. So even if we hadn't gone to Ostagar, we would have had to help them choose a king."

Elissa rose and extended her hand to help him on his feet. "Let's go back to camp. Zevran promised to tell us stories of when he was an assassin in Antiva."

"You really want to hear those?"

"Why not? It might be interesting." Elissa laughed and led him back to camp.


	13. Chapter 13

_I think it showed in the last chapter that I wasn't inspired at all with the first part of Orzammar. I was more inspired for the Deep Roads, no need to worry. __I was supposed to have only one chapter for the Deep Roads but after reflection I decide to make 2 chapters. And yes, I decided who they chose as their king but I like a little suspense :P_

_Once again thanks everyone for the support. And special thanks to my constant reviewers __Jen4306, Evalyne, Roxfox1962 and CCBug. _

_Thanks for reading :)_

_- some parts of dialogue are from the game -_

_

* * *

_

For the millionth time Elissa wondered why they always had to accomplish numerous tasks before getting the help they desperately needed.

They spent days doing jobs for the man they saw fit to be king but everytime they finished one, he had something else to ask. This time he insisted they needed to find Paragon Branka but no one knew where she was or if she was still alive. The only thing everyone knew for sure was that Branka left for the Deep Roads two years before, going on a mad quest no one knew about. Elissa had no choice but to find her, otherwise no one would help her until a new king was crowned.

They left camp early that morning; Orzammar's commons were quiet at this time, no one would be there to watch them suspiciously or request their assistance. The Deep Roads entrance was into view; Roland and Alistair were quietly following her.

"Hey! Stranger!" a dwarf shouted, running to them.

"What is it now..." Elissa grumbled.

The man stopped running when he reached them, trying to catch his breath after his run.

"Have you seen a Grey Warden hereabout? I've been privy of the rumour that he ... or was it she?" he asked to himself, his fingers scratching his scalp as he thought further about the rumour he heard.  
"... this was many mugs ago... the Warden was searching for Branka. He is stout and muscular, fair of face, but with a strong jaw and bold nose, surrounded by a great glowing nimbus. If she's a woman, she might be more slight, but her eyes will shine with the light of purity and her large and chaste bosom will heave magnificently..." the man described the woman dreamily, almost drooling at the mental images forming in his head.

"Great... another one like Zevran..." Roland groaned, his eyes flashing in anger at the dwarf.

"I've been looking for hours, but I haven't seen anyone who looks like that. Very frustrating." His eyes rested on Roland, ignoring the man's remark.

"Yes, with all the humans around, I can understand how your search would be difficult." Elissa replied coldly.

"You've got a point there, Warden." the dwarf answered, sizing Elissa, his eyes resting longer on her chest. "If you're the best they've got, then standards must have fallen way down..." he added, clearly disappointed by what he saw.

Elissa snorted and continued on her way, the man following her closely.

"Say... can I ask you a favor?"

"What? You just insulted me and you dare ask for my help?" Elissa exclaimed, shocked at the request.

"Name's Oghren, and if you've heard of me before, it's probably all been about how I piss ale and kill little boys who look at me wrong." the dwarf continued, ignoring what she said.

"I've never heard of you before." Elissa replied coldly, stopping and resting her eyes on Oghren. "Why are you following me? I have more important things to do than listen to your stories."

"You're looking for Branka and I'm the only one who knows what she was looking for, which might be pretty sodding helpful in finding her. If we pool our knowledge we stand a chance of finding Branka. Otherwise, good sodding luck!"

"Why do you want to find her?" Elissa asked, sceptical someone wanted to help her for a change.

"Why? We were sodding married until she left me and took our whole house into the Deep Roads on her mad quest for the Anvil. If I'd been with her, she'd have made it back years ago... Listen, you want to find Branka, you need someone who knows how she thinks."

Elissa looked at the man a moment, wondering if she should trust him. She locked her eyes on his and understood he still cared deeply for her, probably more than he'd admit to himself.

"You really know where we could find her?" Elissa asked, her tone softer. Oghren nodded enthusiastically. "Fine, you can come with us." she added before continuing on her way, the rest of the party behind.

"Is she always that angry?" Oghren asked his new companions. "Because I'd say she needs some relief. You should take better care of her... needs." he added, laughing before sniffing the air. "Well, maybe not you. I don't think you'd be up to the task." he finished, looking at Alistair.

"What? What makes you think I wouldn't be up to the task?" Alistair asked, blushing.

"I can smell purity a mile away, son." Oghren laughed again, giving Alistair a pat on the back.

"You are aware she can hear you, right?" Roland's angry eyes locked on Oghren.

"Protective, I see. I'm only stating a fact, kid, no need to get angry. Though I still think you should grease her wheel. You obviously both need it!" Oghren said, laughing hysterically at Roland's anger.

"I hope you get lost in the Deep Roads..." Roland muttered angrily.

OooooooooooooooooooooO

The companions remained silent for a long time, busy fighting darkspawn and trying to avoid any more sexual comments from Oghren.

"Yep. Lot of tension around here." Oghren declared suddenly, breaking the silence.

"You're good at stating the obvious." Alistair replied quietly, hoping the dwarf wouldn't insist further on talking to him.

"You know what I do to relieve tension?" Oghren continued, not caring about Alistair's wish to be left alone.

"Do I really want to know?" the ex-Templar asked, clearly annoyed.

"I polish the ol' weapon."

"Rea... really?" Alistair asked incredulously, unsure he heard the dwarf correctly.

"Yep. Give it a good shine. With a dry rag, then with a little grease." Oghren laughed proudly.

"That's disgusting!"

"You're telling me you never gave yer blade the old spit-shine?"

"I think that's private!" Alistair exclaimed, embarrassed at the question, his cheeks and ears suddenly red.

"Really? Sodding Chantry and its rules. I like to do it right out in the open."

"Where people can see you?" the young man asked, almost fainting at the dwarf's confession.

"Yep."

"Wait... what are you talking about?" he asked after a moment, his face livid.

"What are **you** talking about?" Oghren asked back, laughing at the young man's embarrassment.

"Nothing, absolutely nothing."

Roland rolled his eyes, again wishing they'd lose the newcomer on the way. His eyes were fixed on Elissa, still walking alone up ahead. He heard Alistair say something to him; he turned his head to face the young man.

"Excuse me." Roland simply said before quickening his step to be beside Elissa.

She didn't notice him at first, her eyes studying the map in her hands. Roland remained silent, simply looking at her. After a moment she talked, her eyes leaving the map.

"You're wondering why I'm so upset lately." she stated, her fingers intertwining with his.

"You know, if I did something that displeased you, you can tell me."

"You did nothing wrong, Rory." she smiled warmly at him, her hand squeezing his. "I'm only tired of all this. Everywhere we go someone expects us to help but that's not why we're here. Not that I don't want to help them; I do, but..." she sighed, her expression sad.  
"I just want things to be the way they were... no more Blight, no more Howe, no more Loghain... I know I'm being selfish but I just want to spend some time with you, alone."

Roland smiled at her, his lips pressing gently against hers. "When this is over, I promise you all the time you want, just the two of us."

"I will hold you to that promise, Rory. And there will be no way to escape until I'm finished with you." she replied, smiling seductively.

"Don't worry, I don't intend to escape, my love." he whispered huskily in her ear, kissing the tender flesh.

"We've been walking for hours! Don't you think it's time to rest now? Set camp for the night, maybe?" Oghren shouted from behind, interrupting them.

Elissa stopped and waited for the other two to join them. "Yes, I suppose you are right. This seems to be a quiet place." she said, putting her pack on the ground.

OooooooooooooooooooooO

Elissa woke up suddenly, the images of her nightmare still vivid in her head. She sat on her bedroll, wiping her forehead, taking a deep breath to calm herself. She looked at the man sleeping beside her and smiled tenderly, her fingers gently caressing his shoulder.

"Another nightmare?" a voice said in the dark, startling Elissa.

"Maker's breath, Alistair! You almost scared me to death..." she muttered, her heart pounding in her chest.

"Sorry, I didn't want to frighten you. I had a nightmare and I thought maybe you had one too."

Elissa left her bedroll and headed to her friend, sitting next to him. "I saw a dragon again. It was looking at me. I had terrifying dreams before, but nothing like that."

"You saw the archdemon. So we know without a doubt Duncan was right; it's truly a Blight."

"How long do we have before it goes to the surface?"

"I don't know but we should rally the Dwarves and Elves fast."

"Wait... what's that?" Elissa asked curiously, listening carefully for the noise to repeat.

"I've heard nothing." Alistair said, looking around.

"Probably the sodding giant spiders." Oghren declared, startling them both. "Heard you two talking, thought I'd join."

"What do you mean by giant spiders?" Elissa asked shivering.

"Says it all. Giant spiders, living in Orthan Thaig."

"And you're telling us only now? We have to move on before they come after us." Elissa rose quickly and headed to Roland who was still asleep. She shook him gently to wake him up.

"Let me sleep; it's still dark outside." he moaned sleepily, his face hidden in his pillow.

"Wake up." she said, shaking him more vigorously. Roland groaned, pulling the blanket over his head. "Roland, we have to go." she repeated urgently. "If you're not up in ten seconds you won't -"

"Fine, no need to threaten me. I'm awake. What's going on?" he asked, rolling on his back and smiling slyly.

"The hiss you hear? Spiders. We must leave."

"Spiders? You wake me up because there are spiders around? I know you are scared of them, Elissa, but I don't understand your urgency to leave. I'll protect you."

"I'm not scared of spiders..." she groaned.

"I swear you looked frightened everytime you came running to me, begging me to kill a spider. Oh, I see... it was only a trick to see me more often was it?" he asked, grinning.

"I forgot to tell you the best part about the spiders here. They're giant. And poisonous. Now get up."

"May I at least have a kiss? I was having a wonderful dream, you know." Roland smiled shyly, his eyes begging her. His arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her against him.

"How can I say no to that?" she laughed softly, her lips meeting his for a tender kiss.

"See, I told you he'd be up to the task." Oghren said triumphantly to Alistair, his eyes fixed on the lovers.

"Oghren, get dressed..." Roland shouted from afar, before returning his attention to his love.

OooooooooooooooooooooO

_And while she ate, she grew. She swelled and turned grey and smelled like them. They remade her in their image. Then she made more of them._

_Broodmother..._

They followed Hespith's voice, wondering what they'd find, wondering what she meant by her chant. None of them was prepared to what was standing in the room. Elissa gasped in surprise and horror at the sight of the creature smiling slyly, tentacles whirling around it.

"Maker..." Alistair muttered, frozen in place.

One of the tentacle grabbed Elissa. Roland and Alistair reacted immediately, attacking it to free her. She fell on the ground and unsheathed her weapons before running to the creature and attacking it quickly. Tentacles kept grabbing them and eventually darkspawn joined the fight to defend their "mother". But after a long fight the broodmother laid dead, its head resting on its chest, the tentacles gone.

"That's where they come from. That's why they hate us... that's why they need us. That's why they take us... that's why they feed us." Hespith's voice was heard and all eyes turned to her.

"You mean that creature was a Dwarf before?" Elissa asked, shocked at the discovery of the dwarven woman's fate.

"The true abomination... is not that it occurred, but that it was allowed. Branka... my love..." Hespith continued, ignoring Elissa's question. "The Stone has punished me, dream-friend. I am dying of something worse than death... Betrayal." she whispered the last word sadly, tears glistening in her yes. She vanished.

"I'm sure Zevran would have tried to seduce her, complimenting her bosom and all." Roland chuckled, his eyes fixed on the dead creature.

"I wonder if he'd have succeeded." Alistair replied, both of them laughing at the idea of a romance between the elf and the broodmother.

Elissa looked angrily at them and they stopped laughing. "Men..." she muttered through clenched teeth before leaving them.

"You think she's really mad at us?" Alistair asked sheepishly.

"Probably not at you. I'll talk to her later, when she'll calm down a little." Roland reassured him as they followed her more deeply into the Deep Roads.


	14. Chapter 14

_Finally the end of Orzammar, at first I didn't think it would take three chapters but it seems I had more to say than I thought ;)_

_Huge thanks to everyone for reading and also reviewing. And the special thanks __to my constant reviewers __Jen4306, Evalyne, Roxfox1962 and CCBug. Reviews make my day :D_

___

* * *

_

They heard a noise and turned around quickly in time to see a pile of rocks falling to block the way back to the Dead Trenches.

"What are you doing here?" an feminine authoritative voice said behind them. Recognizing it, Oghren smiled.

"Shave my back and call me an elf!" he said excitedly. His eyes fixed on the woman a moment before he talked. "Branka? By the Stone, I barely recognize you."

"Oghren..." the woman snorted disdainfully at his sight. "It figures you'd eventually find your way here. Hopefully you can find your way back more easily." She turned her back on them about to leave as Elissa called her.

"Branka, we were sent to find you."

"I see you found a new friend, Oghren; probably the only one who doesn't mind your ale-breath." the woman replied, curiously fixing her eyes on Elissa.

"Be respectful woman! You're talking to a Grey Warden." Oghren shouted back, forgetting he himself insulted the Warden a few days ago.

"Ah, an important errand-boy. Something serious must have happened if someone sent you to find me." Branka remained silent an instant, thinking, her eyes never leaving the little group. "I'll be honest with you, Warden. I don't care to know why they sent you. You are here and that's all that matters."

"I don't have time for games. A Blight is coming and we need help." Elissa exclaimed impatiently.

Branka looked at her, unimpressed. "Our protector, our great invention, the thing that once made our armies the envy of the world, is lost to the very darkspawn it should be fighting. The Anvil of the Void..." Branka said the last words with reverence, her eyes lost in the distance.

"Anvil of the Void?" Elissa repeated curiously. The dwarven woman glared at her, her eyes filled with contempt at her ignorance.

"The means by which the ancients forged their army of golems and held off the first Archdemon ever to rise. It's here... so close I can taste it!"

"There must be a reason why this Anvil is now lost." Elissa said carefully.

"The Anvil lies on the other side of a gauntlet of traps designed by Caridin himself. My people and I have given body and soul to unlocking its secrets. As I said, I don't care why you're here. **This**is what's important. **This**has lasting meaning. I've given up everything and would sacrifice **anything** to get to the Anvil of the Void."

"You sent your own people to their death, sacrificing them to the darkspawn!" Alistair exclaimed, horrified by the woman's determination to find the Anvil no matter what the cost.

"I will not give up. His legacy lies just inside, the sum of all his knowledge, and I **will**have it." Branka's eyes studied the little group intently and she smiled, pleased at what she saw. "There is only one way out, Warden... Let's hope you will succeed where others have failed."

Branka turned her back on them, Elissa looking at her leave in disbelief.

"Andraste's blood... where is she going? We don't have time for this!"

"Sodding woman is stubborn. She will not help you without something in return. She wants the Anvil and she will use us to find it."

"Then we don't have a choice. We must find the Anvil."

OooooooooooooooooooooooooooO

Their journey to discover the Anvil was not easy, Caridin's traps were carefully planned to dissuade any trespassers to discover his invention. But Elissa was confident they could do it and they did. They were standing in a large room lit by a river of lava. Elissa gasped in wonder, amazed at the sight of the numerous golems standing still.

"My name is Caridin." A deep voice greeted them and their eyes fixed on a golem bigger than the others. "Once, longer ago than I care to think, I was a Paragon to the dwarves of Orzammar."

"Caridin." Elissa said in a breath. "We seek the Anvil of the Void."

"If you seek the Anvil, then you must care about my story or be doomed to relive it." Caridin said sadly at the memory.  
"Though I made many things in my time, I rose to fame and earned my status based on a single item: the Anvil of the Void. It allowed me to forge a man of steel, as flexible and clever as any soldier. As an army they were invincible. But I told no one the cost..." the golem remembered with regret.  
"No mere smith, however skilled, as the power to create life. To make my golems live, I had to take their lives from elsewhere. I had only intended to use volunteers but my king was not satisfied... and soon a river of blood flowed out of this place. Finally it was too much. I refused. And so Valtor put me on the Anvil, next. Trapped forever in my creation... A fitting punishment, I suppose.  
We have remained entomb here ever since, and I have sought a way to destroy the Anvil. Alas, I cannot do it myself. No golem can touch it."

"You want my help to atone for your mistakes." Elissa stated sadly after listening to Caridin's story.

"No! The Anvil is mine! No one will take it from me!" Branka shouted from the shadows, a point of madness in her voice.

"Please... help me destroy the Anvil! Do not let it enslave more souls than it already has!" Caridin begged desperately.

"Don't listen to him. He's been trapped here for a thousand years, stewing in his own madness. Help me claim the Anvil and you'll get an army like you've never seen. Together we can stop the Blight." Branka tried to convince Elissa.

The young woman remained silent a moment, thinking about Caridin's invention and its consequences. She needed Branka's help and the dwarven woman wouldn't help her if she sided with Caridin but the cost was too high. "I can't help you claim it, Branka. The anvil enslaves living soul. It must be destroyed!"

"No! You will not take it! Not while I still live!" Branka shouted angrily.

"Branka, don't throw you life away for this!" Oghren tried to touch her but she stepped back, preparing to fight.

"You will never take it! Golems, obey me! Attack!" the dwarf shouted before an army of golem rushed on them.

OooooooooooooooooooooooooooO

Oghren's axe fell at his side, blood pooling from it. He looked sadly at the corpse at his feet.

"I'm sorry, Oghren." Elissa whispered but the man didn't hear.

"Another life destroyed because of my invention. I wish no mention of it made it into history." Caridin declared sadly, his eyes fixing the dead golems before going to Branka's corpse.  
"Thank you for standing with me in this fight. The Anvil waits there for you to shatter it. But before you destroy it, is there any boon I can grant you for your aid?"

"We needed Branka's help to choose Orzammar's new king."

"For the aid you've given me, I shall put hammer to steel one last time, and give you a crown for the king of your choice."

Elissa watched with fascination as Caridin forged the crown. When his work was done he handed it to her, the metal still hot to the touch.

"There. It is done. Give it to whom you will. I do not wish to hear their names nor anything more of them. I have already live far beyond my time. I have no place here."

"Thank you, Caridin. I will honor my word and destroy the Anvil."

"That would please me, human."

Elissa took the hammer resting on the Anvil. She raised it in the air and with all the strength left in her body after the fight she lowered it on the anvil, shattering it.

"You have my eternal thanks." Caridin said beside her as he headed closer to the edge.  
"Atrast nal tunsha... may you always find your way in the dark." the golem muttered before jumping into the lava, ending his misery.

She felt Roland's arms closing around her and she leaned against him, seeking comfort in the arms of the man she loved.

"She's dead because of me." Elissa said wearily.

"You did what you had to. It's not your fault." Roland said, his voice reassuring. He held her for a moment, his lips caressing the side of her head. "We should head back to the Assembly before it's too late."

Elissa sighed and broke out of his embrace unwillingly, knowing too well that the mission was more important than what she wanted.

OooooooooooooooooooooooooooO

"I apologize for the interruption Lord Steward, but the Grey Warden has returned."

The lords and deshyrs present in the Assembly fell silent, their gaze turning toward the group.

"What news do you bring, Warden?" Steward Bandelor asked.

"I bring a crown forged by Caridin on the Anvil of the Void." She handed the crown to him.

"Caridin was trapped in the body of a golem. This Warden granted him the mercy he sought, releasing him and destroying the Anvil. Before he died, Caridin forged a crown for Orzammar's next king, chosen by the ancestors themselves!" Oghren explained, excited to have been a part of the team that helped the Paragon.

Bandelor examined the object, his eyes wide. "This crown is of Paragon make and bears House Ortan's ancient seal." he declared, impressed, when he finished his inspection of the crown. "Tell us, Warden, whom did Caridin choose?"

"He wished me to give it to whomever I saw fit to rule."

"The Grey Warden knows nothing about us! Why would a Paragon entrust someone like this with such a weighty decision? This is ridiculous!" Belhen shouted angrily, breaking the silence and startling everyone.

"We've argued in these chambers for too long. The will of the Paragon is that the Grey Warden decide." Bandelor said, waiting for Elissa to speak the name of the one she chose.

"I would grant the crown to Harrowmont." Elissa said resolutely under the gasps of surprises of the lords and deshyrs present. Steward Bandelor turned to Harrowmont and presented the crown to the new king under the watchful eyes of the Assembly.

"I am Orzammar's rightful king!" Belhen shouted, his face red with rage.

"Rightful king?" Elissa asked the man. "Harrowmont was telling the truth when he said your father didn't want you on the throne, but I suppose you already knew that. I found proof, a letter written by your father, asking Harrowmont to take his place."

"You! You are lying!" Belhen lost his temper, his eyes glaring at her menacingly, his fingers closing upon the hilt of his sword. "I will not abide by this!"

Quickly he attacked Elissa, followed by his supporters. Chaos reigned quickly in the assembly, deshyrs and lords fighting to defend their leader. But as soon as the attack started it ended, Belhen lying dead in a pool of his blood.

"I admit I didn't think even Belhen would defy the word of a Paragon. Nor that so many would follow him." Harrowmont said sadly as he headed to Elissa. "Thank you Warden for your help and your trust. As promised, we will begin preparations for a surface mission immediately. Orzammar will fulfill its treaties. Now, if you'll excuse me, I must get to the palace and set our plans in motion."

"And I must return to my duties. Thank you, your Majesty."

OooooooooooooooooooooooooooO

Orzammar's gates opened and they slowly stepped outside. Elissa squinted as the sunlight burned her eyes. Oghren sighed sadly beside her, curiously looking around after getting used to the bright sunlight.

"Is everything all right?" Elissa asked the dwarf.

"Of course everything's all right!" Oghren grumbled. "Just give me one sodding moment. I've never been to the surface before." His eyes resumed their exploration of the area, resting longer on the blue sky.  
"By the Stone, I feel like I'm about to fall out of world with all that sky up there!"

"I love watching the sky." Elissa whispered dreamily, her eyes following Oghren's up. "I'm not claustrophobic but I needed fresh air and wide open spaces." Elissa smiled warmly at her new friend who smiled back, grateful for her understanding.

"Well, let's get moving. We're losing... whatchacallit? Daylight. We have some darkspawn arses to kick!" Oghren said cheerfully, following them back to camp.


	15. Chapter 15

_I know I told some people I'd bring Oghren back. And no, I haven't changed my mind, he will be back after the next chapter. It was more convenient to choose Zevran instead for this mission ;)_

_Many thanks to everyone for reading and also reviewing. And special thanks __to my constant reviewers __Jen4306, Evalyne, Roxfox1962 and CCBug and also to the new reviewer Zoe Whiteraven._

___- some dialogues are from the game-_

___

* * *

_

Elissa was sitting near the fire, Bane's head on her lap, his dark eyes begging her to stroke his head. She complied, her fingers gently caressing his fur.

"Do you think we'll find the Dalish in the Brecilian Forest?" she asked Alistair who devoured his third plate of his infamous Fereldan stew.

"They were last seen there. If we're lucky enough, they'll not be gone yet," he replied before putting his empty plate aside.

"Then let's hope we are lucky." She smiled at her friend before her eyes curiously fixed the three men talking in the distance.

"They seem to be spending an awful lot of time together," Elissa remarked, her eyes going back to Alistair. "Do you have any idea what they're up to? Because I can't imagine Rory being friendly with Zevran."

"Me? No! Why should I know?" Alistair stammered, doing his best to avoid eye contact with her.

"Alistair... You should learn to lie. Tell me what's going on."

"Trust me, you don't want to know," the young man replied, his cheeks and ears suddenly red. Elissa raised an eyebrow at the young man's reaction, smirking. She cupped his cheek and made him look at her.

"I see..." she said slowly, leaning forward, her eyes locked on his as she waited for him to explain.

Alistair nervously wiped sweat on his forehead. He took a deep breath before telling her what he knew, aware that she wouldn't let him go until she knew everything. "Zevran and Oghren keep arguing on what Roland should do to please you. That's all I know, I swear," he muttered sheepishly.

"It explains the knowing looks Zevran and Oghren have been giving me lately." Elissa smiled slyly at her friend's shyness. Bane suddenly raised his head to look at her, whimpering loudly as she stopped stroking his head.

"Go get Rory, boy. And bring him back here," she ordered the dog who immediately left to follow his mistress' order. "I'm not sure I like the idea of Zevran and Oghren giving sex advice to my boyfriend."

"And I'm sure you'll have a lot to discuss about when he's back. Goodnight," Alistair blurted before fleeing to his tent, more embarrassed than Elissa had ever seen him before.

"Thank you for sending Bane," Roland sighed as he collapsed next to her. "I thought they'd never let me go." He lay on his back, his arm under his head, a smile spreading on his lips as he looked at her attentively.

"Learned anything interesting you want to share?" she asked him knowingly, a smirk slowly spreading on her face as she lay next to him.

"Alistair told you why they ambushed me, I see. And no, I learned nothing worth sharing."

"It's a pity. Zevran once told me about antivan massages. I'd hoped he told you all about it. He made it sound very... relaxing."

Roland leaned on his arm, raising an eyebrow. "Antivan massages? Not sure I like the kind of discussions he's having with you..." Roland's fingers tenderly caressed her arm, a mischievous smile playing on his lips. "I may not know anything about antivan massages but I know some things that might interest you."

"You'll have to show me, ser knight," she purred in his ear, her body pressed against his.

"As you wish, my Lady." he whispered against her lips before claiming them.

He rose slowly, helping her on her feet. He smiled tenderly and, holding her hand, he led her to their tent for the night.

OoooooooooooooooooooO

She awoke in the middle of the night, her heart pounding wildly in her chest as the images of her last nightmare vanished slowly from her mind. She got out of Roland's arms, careful not to wake him in the process, then dressed and left the tent. Everyone already retired to their tent, except for Zevran and Sten. She sat near the fire camp, a blanket tightly wrapped around her. Zevran quickly noticed her presence and left his spot to meet with her.

"Is everything all right?" he asked her curiously.

"Nightmare. It's a Grey Warden thing," Elissa replied, smiling gently at the elf. She felt Zevran's insistent gaze on her and slowly she turned her head, a questioning look in her eyes.

"There is something I wanted to ask you... We're heading to the Brecilian Forest, looking for the Dalish, and I'd like to accompany you when you meet with them. My mother was Dalish, you see, and her Dalish nature was always a point of fascination for me."

"Your mother must have told you wonderful stories when you were a child," Elissa said, smiling gently at him.

"I never knew my mother. She died giving birth to me. My first victim, as it were." Zevran admitted, his voice filled with sadness.

"I'm so sorry, Zevran."

"No need to be sorry, my friend." Zevran assured her, traces of his usual cheerfulness back in his voice. "We were all raised communally by the whores. It was a happy enough existence, ignoring the occasional beating, until eventually I was sold to the Crows. I brought a good price, so I hear," Zevran said proudly before fixing an invisible point in the distance.

"The one thing of my mother's that I possessed was a pair of gloves. They were of Dalish make and beautiful. I kept staring at them, wondering what it would be like to live amongst the Dalish. I eventually ran off to join them when one of their clans drew near Antiva City. Naturally the reality did not live up at all to the fantasies I had constructed as a boy, staring at those gloves. But such is life."

"You know, once this is over, you could have the life you've always wanted."

"And what would it be?" Zevran asked curisouly.

"I don't know. You're not a Crow anymore; you could do whatever you've always dreamed of."

"I know what I'm dreaming of right now..." Zevran purred suggestively, his face so close she could feel his breath on her lips.

"Don't even think about it, Zevran. I am here as a friend, and that's all you'll ever get from me."

"I know, but you can't blame me for trying, my beautiful friend. Roland is a lucky man," Zevran declared as he rose from his seat. "In any case, thank you for listening to me. I will see you in the morning. Goodnight."

"Zevran, I'll always be there for you, if you need to talk."

"Thank you, Elissa," the elf replied gratefully, a smile spreading on his lips.

OoooooooooooooooooooO

"I still don't think it was a good idea to travel in such a small group." Alistair complained for the fourth time since they left camp that morning.

Elissa sighed, exasperated. They had been looking for hours and there were still no traces of the Dalish, and she was tired of hearing Alistair's complaints. She took a deep breath, her eyes still scanning the forest.

"I don't want the Dalish to see us as a threat. You know as well as I do they are suspicious of humans. And why are you complaining so much? Usually, you're not that grumpy."

"Sorry, I had a rough night. The nightmares wouldn't stop," Alistair smiled, his puppy eyes begging her to accept his apology.

"Are you sure it's the nightmares and not your... what do you call it again? Ferelden Stew?" Roland teased, grinning.

"Very funny," Alistair grumbled. "You'll know my stew is delicious."

Elissa stopped and made a sign for the men to be silent. She listened carefully, waiting for the noise she heard to repeat.

"What is it?" Roland whispered, his eyes scanning the forest.

"Footsteps," Zevran replied. "There," he pointed on their right, everyone's eyes following his finger as a small group of elves emerged from the trees and advanced to them.

"Stop right there, outsider. I suggest you go elsewhere, and quickly," a young elven woman informed them, her companions readying their bows.

"We've been looking for the Dalish," Elissa explained calmly, her hands raised to prove they meant no harm.

"I find that hard to believe. What business could we Dalish have with a group like yours?" the woman asked suspiciously as she examined the little group, her eyes resting longer on Zevran.

"We are Grey Wardens and we need to speak to your leader. It's important."

"Grey Wardens? I will take you to the keeper. In camp I suggest you keep your hands to yourselves and remember that our arrows are still trained on you. Follow me."

They silently followed the elves to their encampment. When they entered the Dalish camp, all eyes fixed on them and Elissa could feel the tension and hatred in the air. She tried to avoid eye contact with the elves they met on the way, silently hoping they would let them a chance to explain why they were here.

"Relax, I'm sure everything will be fine," Roland whispered in her ear and she tried to smile.

"Visitors?" a masculine voice asked. "Who are these strangers, Mithra? I have precious little patience and less time to spend on outsiders today," he added harshly.

"I understand, but this one claims to have important business with our people."

"I see," the elf muttered as he studied the little group a moment. "What important business could you possibly have with us? We have our own issues we must deal with."

"We are here on behalf of the Grey Wardens."

"Ma serannas, Mithra, you may return to your post," the keeper told the woman and waited for her to be away before returning his attention to Elissa. "I am Zathrian, the keeper of this clan, its guide and preserver of our ancient lore. And you are?"

"I am Elissa," she started, but before she could introduce her friends, Zathrian spoke again.

"If you came to bring news of the Blight, it is not needed."

"I was seeking the Dalish because of these," she handed the treaty to Zathrian who merely looked at it.

"I imagined you were here regarding the treaty when you mentioned you were a Grey Warden. Unfortunately, we may not be able to live up to the promise we made centuries ago."

"The Dalish gave their word to help the Grey Wardens. We need an army if we want to defeat the darkspawn. The Grey Wardens need their Dalish allies," Elissa exclaimed, hoping to change the keeper's mind.

"I would like to help you, but I cannot," Zathrian looked sadly at her. "This will require some explanation. Please follow me."

He guided them to a secluded part of the camp where a dozen elves were lying on bedrolls, their limbs wrapped in bandages.

"The clan came to the Brecilian Forest one month ago, as is our custom when we enter this part of Ferelden. We are always wary of the dangers in the forest, but we did not expect the werewolves would be lying in wait for us."

"Werewolves?" Alistair gasped from behind.

"They ambushed us, and though we drove the beasts back, much damage was done. Many of our warriors lie dying as we speak. That is why I cannot help you."

"There must be a way to heal your men. Two mages accompany us, I'm sure they can help."

"I wish this could help but I am afraid healing magic will not suffice. The affliction is a curse that runs rampant in their blood, bringing great agony and ultimately either death or a transformation into something monstrous. The only thing that could save them must come from the source of the curse itself, and that... that would be no trivial task to retrieve."

"And you want me to retrieve it for you, I take it."

"I did not ask for your help, Warden."

"No, but you want me to offer it nonetheless."

Zathrian sighed, his eyes wandering on the wounded. "I sent some hunters into the forest a week ago, but they have not returned. I cannot risk any more of my clan. I did not wish to ask you this, Warden, but if you help us we will be able to assist with the Blight. And you would have our eternal gratitude."

Elissa hesitated, wondering if she should risk her friends' lives to save the Dalish. She looked at Alistair, silently asking his opinion.

"I don't really like this, but we don't have a choice. We need all the allies we can get if we want to defeat the Archdemon," he whispered.

"But is it worth it? I doubt it will be an easy task to retrieve whatever he needs to cure his people," Elissa asked him uncertainly, her eyes locking on a young warrior convulsing in pain.

"We are experts now at fighting abominations, demons, broodmothers... What is a little werewolf?" Alistair asked cheerfully, trying to sound more confident than he was.

"All right, we will help you," Elissa declared as she turned to face Zathrian again. "What do you want us to do?"

"Within the Brecilian Forest dwells a great wolf. We call him Witherfang. It was within him that the curse originated, and through his blood that it has been spread. If he is killed and his heart brought to me, perhaps I could destroy the curse."

"_Perhaps_?" Elissa gasped in shock at the word. "You're not even sure it will work?"

"There is no other way, Warden," Zathrian simply replied, waiting for her to decide.

"Then it seems we don't have a choice. We'll find Witherfang and bring back his heart," Elissa promised, silently cursing her unending bad luck.


	16. Chapter 16

_I know it took _forever _before I updated my story. I couldn't write anything I liked so after something like 5 versions I just decided it was time. This chapter is probably weirder than I intended mostly because the final result is a patch work of most versions (most visible at the end when I didn't want dialogues anymore). I'm sorry about that, I wanted this chapter to be better but I suppose sometimes we can't always have what we want. I still hope you'll like it! :)_

_Once again I want to thank everyone for their support by reading, reviewing, adding as favorite or story alert. It means a lot to me, really. __And let's not forget the special thanks __to my constant reviewers __Jen4306, Evalyne, Roxfox1962 and CCBug and also the newest reviewers fifespice and Deliciously Weird._

* * *

It took them hours to find the werewolves' lair. '_What is a little werewolf?_' Alistair asked when Zathrian told them about the curse, but as she saw the werewolves waiting for them in the forest, she cursed the young man. '_Little werewolf... these were giant monsters,' _she told herself as she tried her best to hide her fear to her companions.

She was surprised when one of them talked to her and wondered if maybe Zathrian was mistaken about their intentions; but as the wolf threatened them she understood she had no other choice but to find Witherfang and end the curse.

With the help of a talking tree they finally found a way to some ancient ruins hidden deep in the forest. The air was colder in that part of the woods, and it was filled with the stench of death and decay. A tall silhouette was waiting for them in the distance. She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, her hands shaking slightly at her side as she moved forward.

"You are stronger than we could have anticipated," the werewolf growled loudly and she recognized the one who talked to them before. "The Dalish chose well, but you do not belong here. Leave this place."

"We mean you no harm," Elissa started to explain but the werewolf interrupted her, his fists clenching angrily at his side.

"You were sent by the treacherous Dalish to kill Witherfang! I will not stand by and allow that to happen."

"All I need is a way to stop the curse and cure the Dalish. Maybe... maybe there is another way to settle this dispute," Elissa proposed, her voice soft as she tried to convince the werewolf to listen.

He remained silent as he thought about what to say, his eyes studying her face carefully as if to detect any trace of treachery. "I can't risk believing you, human," he finally said. "Here Witherfang protects us. Here we learn our names and are beloved. We will defend Witherfang and this place with our lives!"

"Wait!" Elissa exclaimed as he attacked her, three of his companions joining him in the fight.

Elissa tried to push the wolf back but he was too strong for her, his strong arm firmly maintaining her on the ground. "I just want to talk," she pleaded again but he was deaf to her plea. She managed to free her arm and stabbed the werewolf in the arm. The beast stepped back, growling angrily.

Elissa prepared to attack again but a white spot distracted her. A white wolf jumped in the middle of the battle, pushing Elissa who fell on her back. The wolf growled menacingly at her, its face so near she could feel its fangs on her skin. She turned her head to avoid the wolf's bright white eyes, her fingers releasing her weapons on their own.

The four werewolves stepped back from her companions and fled without a word, followed by their leader a few seconds after.

"Elissa!" Roland shouted as he ran to her. He fell on his knees beside her and took her in his arms. "Did the wolf hurt you?" he asked her as he examined her closely.

"No," she stammered, still paralyzed by fear.

"Maybe we should get you back to camp, just to make sure you're not hurt," Roland insisted, his concern for her safety apparent in his eyes and gestures.

"No, we didn't come this far to turn back now."

"I don't want to risk you being infected by the curse."

"I won't turn into a werewolf, Rory. They didn't hurt me," she assured him, faking a confidence she didn't felt. "See," she showed him her arms, "no blood. I'm fine."

Roland examined her a moment longer before helping her back on her feet. "You should be more careful," Roland said as he handed her weapons.

"I'm being careful, my love." She tenderly kissed his lips before turning around and heading in the direction the wolves took as if nothing happened.

Roland sighed as he watched her head deeper into the forest. Once again he wished she wasn't a Grey Warden. She trained for years and was a better warrior than he'd ever admit to her, but he couldn't help being afraid something might happen to her every time they were in a fight.

"She is a strong woman. Nothing will happen to her, my friend, we're here to protect her," Zevran assured him before following her.

Roland sighted, thankful for the elf's desire to help but still concerned about his intentions toward her.

OoooooooooooooooooooooO

They carefully stepped inside the old temple. The sight was breathtaking and it reminded Elissa of the temple dedicated to Andraste. She looked at Zevran; his eyes were opened wide in amazement, a happy smile spreading on his face as he studied the splendour of the temple that once belonged to the Dalish.

"This is remarkable!" he breathed, a hint of excitement in his voice.

"Do you think the Dalish know about these ruins?" Alistair asked, his fingers gently touching the statue of an elven warrior.

"I don't think so; otherwise Zathrian would have told us. Zevran, maybe you should tell them when we go back. I'm sure they'll want to know more about their ancestors."

The elf nodded absently, his attention fully focused on the treasures the temple held.

They headed deeper inside the temple, so lost in the sight of the ancient treasures hidden they never noticed the eyes following them. Suddenly the silence was broken as a deafening shriek was heard. The little party had just enough time to prepare to fight before a small horde of undead warriors fell on them and attacked viciously. The fight with the undead warriors was short but the team didn't have time to relax before a hiss was heard.

"I heard that noise before," Elissa whispered, pressing herself against Roland.

Alistair listened intently, waiting for the noise to be heard again.

"Do you think it's the same kind of spiders we encountered in the Deep Roads?" he inquired after a moment, his fingers closing around the hilt of his sword.

Before anyone could answer, a group of spiders fell from the ceiling and started spitting their poison on the little group. In a flash, Zevran jumped on one of them, his twin blades piercing the skin of the spider's head, killing it instantly. Without a second to rest, he attacked another one, quickly slicing the creature's legs before it could stab Elissa in the back. The young woman, unaware of Zevran's rescue, killed the last spider with Roland's help. Out of breath, she wiped the venom off her hands.

"We shouldn't dally here... Let's get this over with and head back to Denerim," Alistair suggested anxiously.

They walked for a few minutes before Elissa felt the sudden exhaustion seize her. She rested her hand on the wall beside her in an attempt to steady herself as the world around her started spinning. She took a deep breath but she knew her friends noticed her sudden moment of weakness, their attention fixed on her. She smiled, trying to reassure them.

"I tripped on something," the young woman lied, an embarrassed smile on her lips as she tried to be convincing. Roland's eyes narrowed as he tried to determine if she was telling the truth or not. After a moment he took her hand, still looking at her suspiciously but when he talked his tone was soft.

"Are you sure you're all right?"

"Yes. I stepped on something and had to steady myself not to fall on my butt," again she smiled, ashamed to lie to her lover. For a moment she was scared he wouldn't believe her, his eyes still fixed on her, reading her. She relaxed when he smiled gently and took her in his arms, his heart beating wildly in her ear.

"Please, be more careful. I don't want you to get hurt."

"I swear I'm trying, Rory."

"I suppose this will have to do," he said after an instant, clearly unconvinced by her words.

"Rory, you have to trust me. We trained together for years; you know I can handle myself in battle."

"That's why I'm worried, Elissa. I know you can handle yourself, but we never trained to fight darkspawn or werewolves or Maker knows what else we'll encounter. I know you are a good warrior, I just don't want to lose you again."

"Oh, don't you worry. You are stuck with me, Rory," she replied, a mischievous smile spreading on her lips. "Come, we should go before the others decide to leave without us."

The young man reluctantly nodded, her hand tightly clutched in his as he followed her always deeper into the ruins.

OoooooooooooooooooooooO

"We do not wish anymore of our people hurt," a voice exclaimed as the party entered a small room. "Are you willing to parlay?" the werewolf continued, his yellow eyes fixed on Elissa.

"I tried to talk before and we've almost got killed. What changed?"

"The Lady believes that the Dalish have not told you everything so she has asked that you'd be brought to her. She means you no arm, provided your willingness to parlay in peace is an honest one."

"And why should I trust you? What stops you from killing us?"

"You've already proven your strength. We have no wish to anger you further."

Elissa studied the werewolf, her mind racing. She knew they wouldn't be victorious against the werewolves but she still wasn't sure about their true intentions.

"I agree to parlay," Elissa declared, hoping it wasn't a trap.

"Are you insane?" Alistair gasped beside her. "How can you be sure this isn't a trick to kill us?" the young man voiced her own fears.

"I don't know, but we don't have a chance. We must stop this madness now."

"The Lady is waiting for you," the werewolf said, interrupting them. Elissa nodded and followed him into the chamber.

The eyes of the werewolves followed them as they advanced in the chamber, their angry growls a threat to what was awaiting them if they tried anything against their Lady. Elissa felt her resolve melt and she wished she accepted Roland's offer to take her back to camp. She shook her head and took a deep breath. _Everything will be alright_, she tried to convince herself, her heartbeat refusing to slow down.

A tall woman marched toward them, her dark hair floating on her shoulders, her wooden fingers caressing the fur of the first werewolf they encountered. The angry growls stopped as her eyes locked on Elissa.

"I bid you welcome, mortal," she greeted, her voice melodic. "I am the Lady of the Forest. No doubt you have questions, mortal. There are things that Zathrian has not told you."

"How could you know what he told us?" Alistair asked. The Lady's gaze focused on the young man before returning to Elissa.

"I know there are things Zathrian would not tell. It was Zathrian who created the curse. The same curse that Zathrian's people now suffer."

"Why would he do that?" Elissa asked incredulously, unsure if she should trust the spirit but as she listened to the tale, she knew it couldn't be a lie. The spirit told her about the death of Zathrian's children. His son had been murdered by a group of human, his daughter chose death when she found out she was with child after being raped by them. Zathrian's anger was so great he cursed the human who transformed into savage beasts.

"We seek to end the curse," the Lady finally said after telling them the truth about the origins of the curse. "The crime committed against Zathrian's children were grave, but they were committed centuries ago by those who are long dead."

"Why should we believe you? You say you want to end the curse, but you attacked the Dalish," Elissa asked.

"Word was sent to Zathrian every time the Landship passed this way, asking him to come, but he has always ignored us. We will no longer be denied."

"And you thought the best solution was to attack them?" Alistair gasped and once again the Lady of the Forest ignored him.

"Please mortal, you must go to him," she pleaded, desperate for Elissa's help. "Bring him here. If he sees these creatures surely he will agree to end the curse."

"I will talk to Zathrian," Elissa finally said after an eternity. "I can't promise anything, but I will talk to him, tell him what we have seen."

"Thank you, mortal."

OoooooooooooooooooooooO

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Alistair asked as they made they climbed the stairs that would lead them outside the ruins. "What if it's a trap?"

"I don't think they'd try anything against Zathrian. She seemed sincere. Besides, we don't really have a choice. He is the only one who can stop this madness."

"I don't trust them," Zevran said suspiciously, speaking for the first time since meeting the spirit. "If they really wanted to stop the curse they shouldn't have attacked the Dalish."

"I agree this wasn't the best solution, but that doesn't mean they are not sincere," Elissa argued, soon interrupted by a voice.

"Ah, there you are. Do you have the heart?" Zathrian asked as he came out of the shadows.

"No, we..," Elissa started but once again Zathrian interrupted her.

"You promised to help us," he said angrily. "Why did you change your mind?"

"I promised to help and that's what we are doing. The Lady of the Forest wishes to speak with you."

"Oh, is that what the spirit calls herself now? You do understand that she is Witherfang?"

"It crossed my mind, yes. All she asks is for you to listen to what they have to say."

"Very well, I will listen to what she has to say but we are wasting our time. They are the same savage beasts they have ever been," Zathrian agreed reluctantly before following them back to the chambers where the Lady awaited.

OoooooooooooooooooooooO

Elissa intently looked at Zathrian and the spirit as they argued on what should be done. She sighed, exasperated, at Zathrian's refusal to even listen to the spirit. Deciding she had enough of all that nonsense, Elissa interfered.

"Don't you think it lasted long enough? They are not the ones responsible for your children's death."

Elissa hoped Zathrian would be wise enough to listen to her after all she'd done for him and his people, but Zathrian was a stubborn man and instead of considering listening to either of them, he attacked. The elf was a powerful mage and it took a lot of time and energy for her and her friends to defeat him. After what seemed liked an endless battle, Zathrian fell on his knees, his body coevered with the blood of the creatures he summoned.

Once again, Elissa and the spirit pleaded for Zathrian to listen and end the curse and this time the elf did as they asked. Elissa watched as Zathrian's lifeless body collapsed on the floor, the werewolves gathered around the Lady of the Forest as she said her farewells before vanishing. A bright light illuminated the room, surrounding the werewolves. The light dissipated slowly, revealing the humans examining their hands in astonishments. The human once known as Swiftrunner thanked them, still shaken by what just happened. Elissa smiled as they left the ruins, happy to finally have a real life.

The little party returned to the Dalish camp and on the way Elissa wondered what she would say to the elves. She wasn't even sure they would believe Zathrian sacrificed himself to save his people and end the curse. What good was the word of a human for them? True, they had Zevran in their party, but the elf grew up amongst human, befriending them. But as they met with the new keeper, Elissa understood the elves were friendlier than what most humans believed. The woman kept the promise made centuries ago and the little party left the Dalish, their quest for building an army now done.

But Elissa wasn't foolish enough to believe her troubles were over. They had their army but the Blight would have to wait for a little bit longer. As they headed to Denerim, she knew the battle awaiting them wouldn't be against the darkspawn. Next time she would face Howe. Next time it would be personal.

* * *

_____- I promise next chapter will be updated faster. I absolutely know where I'm going from now on since I've been waiting for that part ever since I started it that story. So next time Denerim, and as we say "Let the fun begins!" :) _


End file.
